The Darker Side of Social Distancing
The American Psychological Association has stated that with social isolation comes fear, anxiety, depression, boredom, anger, frustration, and irritability.
We have braved every negative emotion under the sun during this quarantine. We’re trapped inside and can’t get out. Not only does this spawn anxiety, boredom, depression, and loneliness, but it’s made even worse by our fears of it lasting. Many of us worry that we can’t take care of ourselves; we’re unable to get necessities like food without help. We fear for our loss of control, and also for our freedom. This uncertainty is torture, as we never know what tomorrow will bring, when it will end, or how. We don’t know why this is happening to us, or how we could possibly make it stop. We’re in turmoil.
We see those around us, our friends, neighbors, and kin also suffering during this period of forced confinement. We’re afraid for them, but also for ourselves. We watch as they get sicker, weaker, and die, worrying that we might be next. We hear those around us coughing and rasping for breath, but no help comes. We’re unable to be with our parents, our children. We just want to give comfort to and be comforted by our loved ones: to protect each other. We wish we could physically touch, but know that we can’t.
Sanitation and disease are bad — very bad — and there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re exhausted, depressed, and some of us can’t even bring ourselves to eat. The incessant anxiety and fear build to panic. We’re so uncomfortable that we can’t sleep, so scared that we scream out. Those around us scream too, and the sounds of our horror ring out in vain, fading into nothing. Although we hear each other’s cries of anguish, there’s nothing any of us can do. We’re all captive. We’re all caged. We think back to when we were taken from our families, from our mothers. We watch as those surrounding us are taken, one by one. They never return. Every day, the death toll mounts, higher and higher. We look around and see the filth, growths and tumors. We’ve been inside so long. We are sickly and frail. Many of us have never, ever seen the sun. Some don’t even know what the sun is. We just want to escape. Be close to those around us. Finally feel safe for the first time in our lives of isolation.
I am an animal, being raised for your consumption. My story is like yours. We, like you, feel fear, depression, and every other symptom of isolation. The difference is, you haven’t spent your life in a cage. But, whether we’re locked up or not, disease runs rampant. Caged or not, we suffer. This is the horrible truth. When I finally leave this cage, all I have to look forward to is inevitable death. The day that I’m set free will be the day I die. I hope that the understanding you have of our situation leads you to empathize with us, and inspires you to change. Like you, we just want this to end. We can’t do anything about our situation. Social distancing won’t help us. But you can.
If my story has resonated with you, I urge you to end this cruelty. Please, stop supporting the suffering of my kind.
The International Journal of Comparative Psychology has stated that animals do think and feel. They experience fear, pain, and empathy - suffering just as humans do.
