Social isolation vs addictions?

Social isolation and addictions are two phenomena that affect society today. It is a reality that social isolation has spread as an almost daily practice, for protection, as a result of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. It is also true that many people tend to self-isolate for multiple reasons, and not just related to the health crisis caused by this virus.

When we are in social isolation, and even more so, if it is accompanied by emotional isolation, symptoms such as confusion, anger, anxiety and discomfort develop in humans. This is due to various causes, especially because we are social beings who need others, so immersing ourselves in this isolation can significantly affect our mental health, for which psychologists recommend the use of any of the communication tools that allow us affective closeness with other individuals.

However, in addition to the above, another key aspect to which we must pay attention is that, with current technological development, customs, behaviors and social realities have also changed. This means that, with the technological evolution incorporated into everyday life, we have often become "antisocial" beings who cannot do without computers, telephones, etc., so we prefer to be accompanied by these devices instead of socializing with them. our family or friends, locking us in a vicious circle.

We could add to this a third factor of interest related to isolation, and that is addictions. Addiction is nothing more than a habit of harmful behavior or the use of substances (usually drugs) that later cannot be dispensed with or becomes very difficult. To determine if a certain practice of consumption or behavior is an addiction, it can be observed if the frequency in which it is carried out is high, if a large amount of money or time is devoted to it, if it considerably interferes with daily activities and interpersonal relationships, or if there are As a result of this, compulsive behaviors that isolate the person, modifying their habitual behaviors.

With addictions, certain brain structures linked to the limbic system are stimulated that generate pleasure in certain circumstances by causing biochemical changes in our body, causing the so-called "brain reward", related to stimuli that generate intense responses that produce addiction.

There are sovereignly addictive substances such as alcohol, stimulants, drugs, non-substance addictions such as games, technology, the result of psychological addictions where the person has dependency and problems controlling their use, among others, that cause pleasure stimuli, dependency and very probably also isolation, hence the relationship between the aforementioned factors.

Therefore, it is essential that we are alert to these factors, with special emphasis on addictions, whether generated by compulsory or voluntary social isolation, or by other life situations, as they can considerably damage mental and general health. For this reason, it is important to consider various treatments, including cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, effective in reinforcing more favorable behaviors and self-control, and psychoeducation, through which information is offered about addictions, their involvement and its consequences for the person and their loved ones.