Find a helpline: Free emotional support in 130+ countries (Hotlines for Loneliness in the United States. (n.d.).)

Source: Find a Helpline, 2022

🌟 Forced Isolation occurs when an individual is outcasted by another person/group without being involved in the decision making process.

🌟 Chosen Isolation occurs when an individual makes the conscious decision to isolate themselves from others.

Let's take a look at some examples:

🫤 Chosen Isolation: In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, we see how Victor Frankenstein chose to isolate himself from his family, friends, professors, and society itself to work on his upcoming creation. He locked himself in his apartment, and hunkered down for weeks on end without leaving to complete his goal.

In Victor’s case, we saw him experience both ends of the isolation spectrum - he chose isolation, but also inherently enforced it. 

😥 Forced Isolation: The Creature was an existential case of forced isolation by both his peers and society as a whole. His condemning appearance led society to deem him as an outcast, which led to him being forced into isolation by an outside source.

Comment below with an example of how YOU will #IsolateIsolation and #GetFrankWithFrankenstein to ensure that you won't accidentally force anyone into isolation!

Sources: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.

Let's combat this statistic - send in a photo of you combating isolation, whether it's for yourself or others! Use the tag #IsolatingIsolation or #GetFrankWithFrankenstein under this post!

Source: Discovery ABA Therapy, 2024.

Always search for the warning indicators of isolation. Don't let it win like it did for the Creature - fight back.

Sources: National Library of Medicine, 2021; Discovery ABA Therapy, 2024.