Terry Kupers

Everyone needs time to themselves, and peaceful solitude has stress-relieving benefits.

But being alone takes on an entirely different dimension when it creeps up or is forced upon you.

When that's the case, the effects can be surprisingly extensive.

And though different people experience distinct effects at different times, symptoms tend to become more severe and persistent the longer one's isolated.

When someone is involuntarily confined to one space indefinitely for days, weeks, months, or even years, alone and without productive tasks, their body will likely undergo numerous changes.

Let's take a look at what may happen and why.

Early on, stress hormones may spike, and as time passes, that stress can become chronic.

Social interactions and meaningful activities are essential for emotional stability.

This may be because they provide us with what researchers call social reality testing, a sort of sounding board where we can gauge how rational our perceptions are.

So, when someone's deprived of those kinds of communication and tasks, their sense of identity and reality becomes threatened.

Their thoughts spiral and their impulses take the reins, setting the stage for depression, obsessions, suicidal ideation, and, for some, delusions and hallucinations.

Over time, this prolonged agitation can cause the brain's limbic system, which regulates fear and stress, to become especially responsive and hyperactive.

Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, the brain's hub for reasoning and moral judgment, may shrink, impairing one's focus, memory, and cognition.

Overall, the balance shifts from rational thinking towards emotionality.

And as someone remains in this state, the imbalance becomes ingrained, making them more prone to bouts of anxiety, rage, and irrational actions.

Isolation will also affect other parts of the person's health.

They may lose sense of time and have difficulties sleeping.

They're more likely to experience heart palpitations, headaches, dizziness, and hypersensitivity.

And they may also lose weight because of stress-induced digestive issues and poor appetite.

One can attempt to cope by establishing the healthiest routine possible under the extreme circumstances, including robust exercise, reading, and writing.