Harmony Against Internal Wars

The state of alarm decreed by the Government to face the expansion of Covid-19 has forced citizens to remain confined all or most of the day at home. This is a potentially stressful situation, firstly for the reasons that have led to these drastic measures, and also because of the uncertainty of not knowing how long the situation will last. There is a first psychological effect that occurs in this type of confinement situations due to a crisis that is, paradoxically, a certain tranquility. This is because the citizen perceives that something is being done to control the crisis, whether it is a massive terrorist attack or whether it is a health epidemic or a natural catastrophe. In the midst of the chaos, something is being done and we can also take refuge in an apparently safe place that is our home. As for the negative effects of social isolation, it can produce post-traumatic stress, confusion and anger. Stressors are associated with increased quarantine duration, fears of infection, boredom, frustration, inadequate supplies, insufficient information, financial losses, and stigma.

As human beings that we are, life in society is marked in our genetics as one of our basic traits that has driven us to overcome the danger that other animals and hostile nature once posed for the survival of our species. Although we live alone, almost all of us seek to maintain direct contact with other human beings on a daily basis, so being suddenly deprived of this treatment can be very difficult to assimilate.

A psychological aggravating factor that increases stress and anxiety levels for all of us is that this confinement has not been sought. While it is true that we can understand and accept it without reluctance, for the common good, it is also the fact that we have not had the possibility to choose it for ourselves. For many people who choose to live in solitude, but who are socially very active, confinement has meant an abrupt and involuntary cessation of all their social activities and of all direct contact with another human being. Psychological problems may soon appear and lead to an internal fight of various feelings.

Self-portrait Project.