LONELINESS AND THE TECHNIQUE OF PSYHODRAMA IN ACHIEVING CREATIVITY AND SPONTANEITY

Abstract

Loneliness is a big problem in the 21st century – it is often referred to as the loneliest ever. However, loneliness in the Singaporean context differs slightly from the rest of the world, for it arises from underlying structural conditions. Loneliness in Singapore adults is a consequence of the fixed social and cultural roles that they must play, which forcibly trivialises the emotions entailed within these roles. Loneliness experienced by Singapore adults is a product of structural conditions which stem from the necessity of the rapid development of the nation. National rhetoric on the family and compelling utilitarian notions of the qualities of a “productive” citizen have resulted in the routinisation and transactionalisation of interaction, and a need to repress feelings and emotions in order to keep up with the fast pace of society. In addition, the over-commercialisation of Singapore today has numbed the senses. The emotionally-charged sentiments and bonds that play an important part in community is hence much harder to find. Catharsis is especially important in societies such as Singapore, where the main characteristic of emotion work is repression. Psychodrama provides a solution to this. By drawing on the structural conditions that lay beneath the unique problems of the individual, psychodrama is able to purge the emotions of distress that presuppose the loneliness that they feel. This is done through role subversion. This technique allows the individual to engage with, reshape, and personalise the roles that they play in their daily lives, hence facilitating personal relationships.