COVID-19 Rewired Our Brains: Reversing the Effects of Trauma and Isolation

By Erin Del Toro, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist, ACHE

It’s been three years since our world was turned upside down by a new virus. In March of 2020, we braced for impact with little idea of what was coming to us. Normal human interaction and everyday life was replaced with a cocktail of social isolation, masks, fear for the vulnerable, supply shortages, and round-the-clock news cycles. Just like that, thought patterns of general well-being, safety, and connection were destabilized for nearly every person around the world.

It is generally understood that unity and connection yield higher levels of emotional stability, but in 2020, fear and isolation were the dominant themes. Now, three years later, many are left with lasting brain changes from the unavoidable situations we were in for such an extended period of time.

However devastating fear and isolation’s lasting effects might be, research shows that those with severe cases of COVID-19 continue to experience its long-term effects. For many, one or more organs have not returned to full function. Some survivors report higher rates of depression and anxiety that linger long after flu-like symptoms have disappeared. In fact, the World Health Organization reported that anxiety and depression have increased approximately 25 percent in the postCOVID population. COVID changed our sense of taste and smell: millions of people who lost their sense of taste when they were ill with the virus report that it has only partially returned or has not come back at all. We may not know the full effects of COVID on the brain and body for decades to come.

One thing is for certain: it changed us. Nobody can get away with living in a completely different manner for months or years on end and not feel changed in some way. New ideas and fearful thoughts of what it took to be safe have penetrated and reshaped our habits and emotions.

Whether from the virus itself, from the isolated environment in which we lived, or a powerful combination of the two, neural pathways which managed the thought patterns and feelings of normalcy lost their strength and their signals became weak. Consequently, the brain formed new neural pathways and began rewiring for this new, more stressful situation.

The fact is that our brains were rewired over a long period of time. And even though life has returned to normal in most places around the world, for many, the residual effects continue to linger.

Deep into 2023, I consistently have people coming into my office who report battling residual depression; anxiety; lack of motivation; fear of social connections, illness, or death; a loss of taste and smell; and even a loss of their basic personality after COVID 19.

Step back and remember what life was like before COVID was ever a headline. Does your brain function like it did before? Are you able to feel joyful? Is your motivation to accomplish or exercise still there? Can you taste and smell foods the way you used to? Are you who you should be?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you are not alone. It is helpful to know that you can retrain your brain and rewire your mind for more optimal performance. Hypnotherapy with a qualified clinical hypnotherapist is an effective way for you to activate neural pathways which need to be reconnected and reinvigorated.

The amazing thing about the mind is that it has high neuroplasticity and is able to change. The past twenty years of research shows that our negative or harmful thought patterns and emotions of today can be rewired to work in a positive way for us in the future. The beauty of the subconscious mind is that it remembers quite literally everything, and that is everything when it comes to restoration.

One of my favorite things to do is to help my clients bring back and strengthen old positive pathways they think are lost: past emotions they wish they could feel again, pieces of self-esteem that were left by the wayside, and even physical things managed by the mind, such as taste and smell.

We use hypnotherapy to help the mind get into a deeper state of consciousness and tap into the power of the subconscious to locate forgotten positive feelings. Then, we are able to rewire and strengthen neural pathways up to 400 times faster than your conscious mind can. Joyful feelings can be reinvigorated, the desire to exercise can be renewed, the openness to connection can be restored, and even taste and smell can return, all from reinvigorating your brain.

If hypnotherapy is a question for you, don’t hesitate to experiment with other modalities. Deep meditation about the way life used to be while allowing your imagination to reconnect with positive past feelings can be very beneficial. Setting your intentions for reconnection with your past self during a breathwork session can also be helpful as you look to restore the needful pieces of you lost to COVID.

Everyone’s experience with COVID was different. Whether you need a helping hand to get back on the right path or whether it’s time for a complete 180 degree turnaround, the journey begins with you reconnecting with the power of your subconscious.

If you’d like to know more about how hypnotherapy can help you in this process, please visit balancedmodernhypnotherapy. com, text or call my office at (435) 429-2560, or email erin@ balancedmodernhypnotherapy.com.

Erin Del Toro is an ACHE Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist and owner of Balanced Modern Hypnotherapy. She’s passionate about changing the effects of trauma, rewriting unwanted habits and behaviors, and helping others unlock the power of their true potential. Erin lives in St. George with her twin daughters and enjoys participating in the ninja warrior sport and playing in the beautiful outdoors of southern Utah.