The Isolation Era: You’re an Island Cut off From the World
From 9/11 to now: how we’ve isolated ourselves
The Age of Isolation? Both 9/11 and the Pandemic, the turning points of this century, centered on divisive yet largely invisible enemies.
More than 56 percent of Americans, in late April, told the Kaiser Family Foundation they are feeling: “worry or stress related to the coronavirus outbreak.’’ That majority reported one or more negative effects on their mental health or well-being, including:
- Problems with sleeping or eating.
- Increased alcohol use.
- Worsening chronic conditions.
The meaning of isolation:
To isolate means to keep people apart, creating a virtual island. Insula is Latin for “island,” while “iso’’ is Greek for equal, identical, or isometric parts. In short, transforming your space into an island by splitting it away from the mainland.
Nearly half of Americans experience a mental illness in a lifetime. After the pandemic began, prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications spiked by 34 percent while sales of hard liquor soared by 75 percent.
Alcoholism and other substance and behavior abuses are diseases of isolation, an escape that cut you…
