For centuries, humanity has used social isolation as a punishment for those who failed to comply with social norms. Dungeons, exile, excommunication, even solitary confinement still practiced in prisons today, are all manifestations of this effort. But why does social isolation work, and what are its impacts on those against whom it is practiced?
It has been shown through innumerable studies that just 14 days of isolation makes permanent structural changes to the brain, changes that will never reverse regardless of reintegration into society. Sociologists believe that the reason that humans become so prone to mental illness as a result of this isolation is a callback to our earliest days on the planet. Lacking fangs, talons, wings, dramatic footspeed, or any of the other devices found in nature to protect ourselves, hominids evolved as social creatures from the very beginning. Some 6 million years later, our brains still require a collective dynamic to function optimally. And when we lack that dynamic, we are far more susceptible to common illnesses – both physical and mental – such as obesity, heart disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety…not to mention an 84% increase in the likelihood of premature death.
When you hear it said that isolation is the number one enemy of good mental health, it is not hyperbole. In this mobile and busy society, it can be difficult to stay connected to loved ones and to find the time to forge quality relationships. But for your own mental health and that of those around you, it is worth making the effort.
