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Neuro Note 2: Isolation and Addiction


In order to learn more about the brain and it's role in social isolation, I watched the TedxMidAtlantic Talk with Rachel Wurzman. She focuses on a specific area of the brain, the striatum, which she believes helps us better understand our body's habits and urges when social isolation begins to take its toll on our overall well-being. The striatum is an area of the brain responsible for voluntary movement and control. Studies have shown that the striatum actually contains neurons which are related to our movement and reward, more specifically, our social interaction and the internal reward that comes as a result. Rachel goes on to explain the many different social isolation situations that can severely impact our need for reward such as social media comparison and trouble connecting with others because of physical differences. However, due to current events, my mind couldn't help but relate everything she spoke about with COVID-19 and social distancing.

(We will circle back to this later)

Neuroplasticity is our brain's ability to form new connections over time. Bringing the two concepts (neuroplasticity and the striatum) together can help us better understand the body's natural urge for reward and how we are then likely to respond in different situations. For example, if we are lonely due to social isolation, we will look for reward in other behaviors that give our body the satisfaction it is seeking. These behaviors can be healthy or damaging, and overtime, our body will begin to compulsively pick the behavior that is most common and available. Neuroplasticity can give us hope in addictive behavior by re-wiring the way one seeks, and goes about seeking, reward and happiness. Repeatedly practicing social interaction and support instead of drugs, can help one combat their urges and addictive behavior. It's all about re-balancing.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals around the world have been experiencing social isolation like never before. Social isolation removes our ability and/or effectiveness of communicating and relating with others. It is no surprise that when this bond with others is taken away, our mental health can dramatically decline. Social interaction fuels us with both the physical and mental energy we need to participate in everyday activities. When this interaction is taken away, especially suddenly, we become ravenous for any and every possible thing that can fuel us to give us our "fix", thus, the increase risk for drug abuse and addiction.

As a future OT practitioner, I can see the many ways interventions commonly provided by our field could be of great use. Addiction support groups, as well as working with individuals struggling in isolation due to the pandemic, are just a few of the settings OT's can work at in order to be of great value. Bringing together one's spiritual and emotional needs is what occupational therapy is all about. We go in with a holistic approach that gives us the unique opportunity to get to know one's values and self to better understand their behavior and possible risks.

While I understand and acknowledge the importance of social distancing, I also must stress the risk it can bring to individual's mental health around the world. This Ted Talk prompted me to ask the questions below:

Will this pandemic cause a dramatic increase in drug abuse?

 How has COVID-19 affected individuals who were already struggling from mental health conditions previously? 

 How will OT's around the world respond to social isolation, and is there room for growth and creativity in our interventions?

I hope this information, as well as the TedTalk linked below, encourages anyone reading to actively think of ways we can support the individuals around us in this difficult time. As a student, I know I have been encouraged to start looking for creative ways to help those in isolation and others that have been severely affected due to COVID-19.


 https://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_wurzman_how_isolation_fuels_opioid_addiction#t-1078708





References 

Báez-Mendoza, R., & Schultz, W. (2013, December 10). The role of the striatum in social behavior. Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857563/

Wurzman, R. (2017, October). How isolation fuels opioid addiction. Retrieved July 24, 2020, from https://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_wurzman_how_isolation_fuels_opioid_addiction

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