The coronavirus has invaded, an invisible alien, spreading from Area 51 in Wuhan, taking over our fellow humans, infecting invisibly, so we don’t even know who is who. Are thee friend or foe? The word “pandemonium” was coined by John Milton in his classic poem, Paradise Lost. He combined a pair of roots, “pan” (meaning: all) and “demonium” (evil spirits), to form a word that now describes all hell breaking loose. How apt.

Our needs compete. Survival, health, and safety are more primal, and typically trump our needs for attachment, affiliation, and affection, though we seek compromises. Anxiety motivates fight-or-flight maneuvers intended to guarantee survival (social distancing = flight) or at least reduce an emotional threat. Loneliness motivates affiliation, the urge to connect. How can we balance them? How can we listen to the wisdom of our anxiety, but keep a leash on the amygdala? How can we maintain connectedness in the face of social distancing?

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