ALIENATION AND ITS LINKS TO MENTAL HEALTH

As a derivative of the word ‘alien’, the concept of alienation is one that does not stray too far from the idea of extra-terrestrials and even though, it may not be in the literal sense, figuratively, alienation has the potential to become very realistic and as an experience, have extremely clear impact on an individuals’ mental health.

As complex as it may sound initially, this article (and its writer) will do their best to make it make resounding sense and draw out a clear picture as to the existence, relevance and the somewhat often understated effects of such on the regular life of a human being. To add some context to the topic, the manifestation of alienation in real life can be categorised as an internal psycho-emotional ‘mini-warfare’ whereby an individual constantly experiences feelings of being alone, mildly misunderstood and generally ‘non-fitting’ in the any of their social circles.

Often fuelled by a negative view of the self, an individual experiencing this is often thinking of themselves as an ‘outsider’ and because they rest on this line of thought about themselves, they tend to adopt a life of minimal socialisation, a social ‘awkwardness’ with very few solid relationships as well as seclusion from social activities.

Given the psychological complexities involved when we speak of alienation, it would be correct to assume that this may be easy to spot in older individuals, however, it is quite the challenge to determine a fixed onset. It is one of those, whereby friends and relatives slowly start recognising changes in the behaviour of their loved one as they slowly withdraw from engagements they were previously happy to be part of.

Concept

They become reserved and less committed with a growing amount of their time being spent alone. As foreign as it may sound a concept to one person, it is unfortunately another persons’ reality; meaning, it is a lot more common in our households and communities than most of us think. The reasons why such a feeling would develop and manifest in an individual vary across different individuals, however, the most common and overriding theme has its roots in confidence and self-esteem issues.

The more we grow, the more we experience a variety of things and with that, comes the increased probability of experiencing events that diminish our sense of self. Sometimes, it is the work of the competitive world that we live in and the pressure that comes with that; things like achievements or the achievement of certain milestones at certain ages apply the pressure particularly on that individual who has not been able to reach those targets by comparison to his or her peers. There could be more reasons.

As mentioned in the opening segment, since this is very much an internal issue that ravages the psycho-emotional being of the individual, it is bound to have the capabilities to morph into significant mental health concerns.

Depressed

For instance, medically the characteristics of a depressed individual are eerily similar to someone who may be experiencing some sort of alienation complex. Their moods may swing such as in bi-polar disorders and they may be under the influence of a distorted perception of reality that may need some professional attention. The manifestations may be significantly distinct, however, the mental health pressure is similar, if not worse.

It is, therefore, a gentle reminder to keep an ‘eye out’ and monitor where you can, some of these features in our friends, siblings and families as we go about our everyday. It would help to assume the responsibility to check on them as often as possible, offer a kind, motivational word (or two) just to make sure they are well.
Send comments to: runsford0505@gmail.com

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: