![]() While most of us will not develop mental health disorders from cabin fever, it may cause us to feel more anxious, irritable and sad. “The increased distress experienced may trigger other mental health disorders like generalised anxiety, paranoia, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and some may entertain suicidal thoughts,” said Ms Sng. These people should seek the help they need if they feel their moods deteriorating. Of greater concern are those who already have mental health issues. While extroverts can adapt to being alone with time, Ms Sng added, “As isolation prolongs, both extroverts and introverts may similarly find themselves feeling distressed at the situation.” This depends on their personality, temperament and current coping abilities,” said Ms Sng.įor instance, extroverts may feel worse at first because they enjoy being with other people. “Different people may experience a combination of symptoms, and to a varying extent. Some of the symptoms of cabin fever include stress, restlessness, impatience, being easily agitated or highly irritable, lethargy, decreased motivation, persistent sadness, low moods, having a sense of hopelessness, mistrust of people, poor concentration, poor sleep hygiene, food cravings and even weight changes. ![]() However, people all over the world – including in sunny Singapore – may now be experiencing the phenomenon as they stay at home for long periods of time during COVID-19. The term cabin fever is often used in countries to describe the feelings experienced by those trapped at home because of extreme weather. While we are not astronauts, who are by nature highly resilient and undergo rigorous isolation training to cope with the conditions in space, many of us are starting to feel the effects of being confined to our homes, without much human interaction, during this circuit breaker.įeeling alone and sad, and not being able to cope with these feelings can lead to “cabin fever”.Īdrienne Sng, a National CARE Hotline volunteer who is the Director of Clinical Services at Boys’ Town, explains, “ Cabin fever refers to the cycle of negative and distressing emotions experienced by individuals as a result of being isolated or feeling ‘cut off’ from society at large.” Astronauts have been known to spend up to a year, mostly alone in confined quarters, floating above the Earth.
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