Chronic social isolation can be detrimental to the mental and emotional health of many individuals.

Chronic social isolation causes a massive increase in both calcium-glutamate and dynorphin as a response to the stressor, while crashing GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Now, this would be less of a concern if it only occurred acutely, but CHRONIC social isolation affects you on an epigenetic level directly so the brain ADAPTS and is in this chronically low/agitated state. To put it simply, your body is now under constant stress.

High calcium-glutamate and dynorphin expression are cornerstones in both PTSD and addiction. You know that unexplainable misery these individuals experience that produces compulsions for drug use to manage underlying biochemistry?

High calcium-glutamate and dynorphin is also implicated in depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and schizophrenia to name a few common related psychiatric disorders.

High calcium-glutamate expression means low GABA expression.

High dynorphin expression means low GABA, dopamine, endorphin, AND serotonin/melatonin expression.

Dynorphin and the kappa opioid receptor system has an inverse effect (feels bad man) when compared to endorphin and the mu opioid receptor system (feels good man).

With all this said, there is much that can be done here.

You don’t HAVE to suffer during this COVID experience.

1.) Socialize with ANYONE you can, even if it’s small talk with your old lady neighbor or even ONLINE. SOCIALIZE, it matters more than you know. Do not isolate yourself.

Cry and vent on a private forum if you need to. Don’t feel ashamed, under any circumstance.

2.) Daily sunlight exposure is CRUCIAL. Sunlight produces beta-endorphin upon exposure and with CHRONIC exposure, this causes downregulation or a reduction of dynorphin/KOPr expression.

Go the f*ck outside. Every day. Even if it’s out on your porch. Be like a cat.

3.) Exercise daily or as often as your body can handle it. This will be individual.

Chronic exercise does the same as sunlight exposure. More feel good endorphin, less feel bad dynorphin with chronic activity.

4.) Abstain from ALL drug use. ALL drugs will create an environment for even greater calcium-glutamate expression rebound.

If you use any substances, keep harm reduction in mind, consume a surplus of nutrients in diet, keep dose low, and do EVERYTHING mentioned. You especially.

5.) Proper sleep is where all detox and repair processes occur.

Maximize sleep optimization and support these processes with the respective nutritional building blocks. Sleep deprivation will exacerbate all of the above biochemistry mentioned so far.

Magnesium glycinate and l-theanine is a bedtime stack.

6.) Herbal medicines, food medicines, and supplements.

Be sure to check for interactions if you consume any medications or drugs.

6.1.) Thymoquinone in black seed oil and raw cacao function as TLR4 antagonists, which creates an upregulation of endorphin/MOPr expression over time. They also possess opioidergic activity in and of themselves.

6.2.) Ultra Low Dose Naltrexone has the same impact on Endorphin/MOPr expression via MOPr antagonism and TLR4 antagonism.

The KOPr antagonism can offer some immediate relief.

6.3.) You can interact with or activate Kappa opioid receptors directly pharmacologically, similarly to what occurs with sunlight exposure and exercise (chronic controlled stressors with recovery periods).

These must be consumed daily or regularly to see impact.

You will experience initial discomfort or disorientation, it is okay and will pass. You are looking for the downstream pharmacological impacts, not immediate, just like with exercise and sunlight exposure.

Salvinorin A in Salvia divinorum (must be microdosed sublingually, avoid extracts and don’t smoke it unless you’re aware of effects, ensure you’re in legal state).

Hesperidin in citrus peels. Eat the whole fruit. Ensure they are ORGANIC and wash well in an apple cider vinegar, baking soda, sea salt (diluted with distilled/purified water solution.

Erinacine E in Lion’s mane extract. Must be dual extracted for full benefit, don’t buy into the rice flour fluff. Best megadosed for best effect, impossible to overdose on as it’s a food and consumed in significantly more amounts than what is found in capsules.

Matrine in Sophora flavescens or Ku shen, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

7.) Agmatine, an amino acid supplement, increases beta-endorphin indirectly, as well as antagonizing calcium-glutamate at NMDA.

D/L-phenylalanine or DLPA acts as a precursor for beta-endorphins.

Raw cacao or dark chocolate increases beta-endorphins.

Now get off your *ss and take care of yourself, no more excuse to whine and complain. You are more powerful than you’ve been lead to believe.

You’ll see more and more articles and studies regarding the negative impact of this social isolation and lockdown, don’t feed into it.

Side note: Ketamine and Psilocybin/psychedelic therapy are also effective in downregulating dynorphin/KOPr expression.

8.) Active stress management. Find healthy coping mechanisms, such as art, photography, writing, whatever interests and brings you joy. Do these when you’re not working or sleeping. Everyday. Take time to yourself. If you don’t have time, make time.

Magnesium is crucial here.

9.) Nutrition is also crucial. Preferably in surplus, which means eating solely nutrient dense whole food source.

Avoid the sucrose, bread, alcohol, and boxed/fast foods.

Magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride, bicarbonate, Vitamin C/D/K2, taurine, glycine, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyroxidine/P5P, biotin, cobalamin, inositols.