Quarantine can leave you traumatized. Here's what that means, and how to address it.

Quarantine may affect you more seriously than others.Crystal Cox/Business Insider

• While it's understandable to feel lonely during quarantine, some evidence indicates that prolonged isolation can seriously affect certain people and cause them to be traumatized.
• Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, explains that the word 'trauma' is used to describe "an event that posed an extreme threat to their physical or mental well-being," which can included prolonged periods of stress.
• If you've been feeling fearful and avoidant, or are having nightmares or flashbacks during the pandemic, Morin says you may be experiencing trauma.
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While self-quarantine helps keep people physically safe, the resulting social isolation can also have a serious emotional impact on us.

There's even some evidence that quarantine can cause some people to feel traumatized. And the damaging effects on mental health might continue long after shelter-in-place restrictions have been lifted.