25 Feb Getting Better but Feeling Worse: Needing Connection After Leaving the Hospital

Life After Hospitalization

Being in the hospital, especially for extended periods, can be physically and emotionally isolating. The hospital environment—with its revolving cast of nurses, physicians, and technicians, disruptions of normal wake and sleep cycles, and detachment from the settings, routines, and relationships of daily life—has been linked to sensory deprivation.

Going At It Alone

Social isolation can intensify after a patient is discharged from the hospital. A variety of factors, including activity restrictions, social stigmas, and not wanting to be a burden on loved ones, can cause one to retreat from social engagement. This is especially true if the illness or injury leads to a long-term disability. A study by the British Red Cross and Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness addresses the sobering reality: “Disabled people are a diverse group – but loneliness is a common experience.”

Of course, one need not be permanently or severely impaired to experience post-hospital loneliness. Our individualistic culture celebrates those who seemingly “go it alone,” living, working, and making decisions without help from others. Seeking physical or emotional assistance, in good times or bad, is cast as a weakness. But the myth of the self-made man or woman is just that—a myth. We are social animals and our well-being depends upon social interactions and interpersonal connections, particularly in times of uncertainty and difficulty.

Prolonged loneliness can result in poor life satisfaction, low self-esteem, depression, and even suicide. For many, life after the hospital is their first experience with this type of isolation. Whether dealing with a long recovery or adjusting to the “new normal” of physical or mental limitations, socializing can be a challenge.

Reducing Social Isolation

Physical recovery is just one aspect of the healing process. Psychosocial needs must also be attended to. Yet, while follow-up appointments with medical professionals are commonplace, help with social engagement is not as readily available.

Fortunately, modern technology provides opportunities for positive remote contact, camaraderie, and community. If you are experiencing post-hospital isolation, you are not alone.

Ezzree offers Clubz where individuals struggling with loneliness can support one another, build healthy coping habits, and set themselves up for real connection and fulfillment online and IRL while working with qualified professionals. Take the next step, and see how Ezzree can help you #getconnected.

Ready To Join A Club?

Below is a calendar of upcoming Aftercare Clubz.
For a limited time during our pilot program, we are offering FREE sessions to Uzers! Standard price is $12.97 for 50 minute session.

If the current schedule doesn’t work for you, contact us and we will try our best to accommodate you.

[ezzreeClubz service=”Aftercare”]