Op-Ed: An Instagram Therapist’s Guide to Solitary Confinement
By: Instagram User @PrisonTherapyGirlboss
So, you’re in prison. That is super duper not fun. In fact, some might even describe it as a sticky situation. To make matters worse, the inner machinations of the universe have conspired to put you in solitary confinement. At first, this may seem like a bad thing; people do usually tend to think of solitary confinement as punishment or “torture.”
But I’m here to tell you that all those people are wrong. Solitary confinement isn’t a punishment, it’s a gift and a necessary step on your path to healing. If you’re in solitary, don’t think of it as an egregious violation of your human rights, but rather an opportunity to expand your love for yourself and learn to truly be alone.
How often do you truly get to take time away from the hustle and bustle of prison? Being constantly surrounded by all that chaos doesn’t leave much room for you to be alone with and truly evaluate your thoughts. Solitary solves that problem by giving you a nice, quiet environment for you to reflect, free from the troublesome burdens of meaningful relationships, supportive family and friends, and edible food. Once you have mental distance between yourself and prison, you can use solitary confinement to completely change your life. As the Dalai Lama once said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
I’m sure you’ve heard other people’s horror stories about going crazy in solitary confinement, but my 10 months of expertise running a self-help podcast with my other Insta therapist friends tell me that they simply haven’t taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity to change their mindset. I believe that if these people simply loved themselves more, they would not be having these issues. Schizophrenia and other psychoses are only signs of a deeper problem: insufficient self-love.
If you do by chance find yourself hearing voices or hallucinating after solitary, I would strongly recommend a long bubble bath and daily affirmations in the mirror before morning yard time. Take a self-care day! Do something you enjoy! Make a vision board! Just know that as long as you remember to love yourself, your life sentence can be whatever you make of it.
