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Isolation

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I know one time I lay in bed for 2 weeks and faced the wall. I did not want to talk to anyone, see anything or deal with phone calls. I ate only when I had to, same with using the rest room. I don't recall if I showered or not, but I kind of doubt it. Not long after this, once I came out of it, I got permission to get a dog. That helped me a lot not to go back into it. I am not sure what triggered it, as it was many years ago now, like about 25 or so? All I know is that once I came out of it, I worked hard to make sure that it never happened again. I knew in my heart and soul that it was not healthy for me. I was in therapy at the time too, so that helped me to keep from having it happen again also.
 
Hi there,

Isolation is one "thing" (of many) that before joining this forum, I thought was just a me-thing, but now I realise it's a pretty common PTSD-thing.

Obviously I'm not promoting Isolation, but as I'm currently isolating to some extent myself, I'm curious as to the patterns of isolation in others.

- what has been the longest length of time you've isolated?

- what things typically trigger your isolation?

-what is a typical length of isolation for you - does it span a particular anniversary period, or continue on after?

- or is there something (internal/external) that signals for you the end of needing to isolate?

-what is the extent of your isolation?

-do you go elsewhere or isolate within your house?


For me, at the moment, I'm isolating after a symptom flare up that followed a pretty stressful week (including 2 trauma anniversaries, a prowler on my property while I was home alone, and the resurfacing of two pretty massive sets of repressed memories).

So far the extent of my isolation has been limited to people I know IRL (i.e. I've still been on the forums to some extent), and have a tonne of unanswered texts/ missed calls.
I've also had to see some family members today, which I've followed through with as they don't know I have PTSD (or any mental illness), so I've been able to tolerate it knowing it will be better in the long term, but I can foresee myself needing to up the extent of my isolating from tomorrow to compensate.

I've been isolating in my house. My flatmate did come home yesterday, but she doesn't really talk to me, so if I don't speak to her/ hide out in my room, she doesn't flinch anyway.

Otherwise, I've only left the house to get food/exercise, but during times I know I won't run into people I know. Sometimes I won't leave my bedroom except to use the bathroom/ heat up food curtains closed, and other times I've felt ok to open my curtains and windows etc.


What are your isolation patterns?

I've been through so much devastation the past eight months, it has triggered nightmares from past trauma of childhood abuse, adult dv. Progress I made in counseling a few years ago has completely unraveled. Isolation is a big part of that, past and present. I have full time ptsd and little hope. Prayers to all that struggle with any form of trauma and isolation. Human decency is sometimes a foregone conclusion. I only ask for prayer and advice in return. Thank you.
 
Hey @Tj's Paradigm Shift . Sorry you're going through such a hard time right now.

Isolation is such a double edged sword; sometimes it's our best way of coping, but sometimes that also has detrimental effects for us.

How are you doing now in terms of therapy? Or support IRL in general?

My T always said to me that when I couldn't feel hopeful for my situation, she would hold that hope for me.
Could I do that for you? Hold the hope that things will get better for you?

Keep hanging in there. Thanks for reaching out.
 
TJ's Paradigm Shift, I am also sorry you are feeling this way right now. I also understand the feeling. I don't know what is the matter with me but not only do I isolate, I stay in bed. Though I am always tired, I think I can't think of anything worth getting up for most of the time. (maybe unconsciously). I act like I have terminal cancer and I don't. I do have medical problems. If someone gave me $500 to stay up all day I don't think I could do it for more than 2 days in a row. Be careful of allowing isolating to go on for too long, it can become a habit.
 
I'm isolating after a symptom flare up that followed a pretty stressful week (including 2 trauma anniversaries, a prowler on my property while I was home alone, and the resurfacing of two pretty massive sets of repressed memories).

Hi @bellbird
Sorry you have to go through such a hard time right now...
as you mentioned, these phases Do end at some point, and things begin to change !

what has been the longest length of time you've isolated?

Somewhere beginning 2000 it was almost one year. I didn’t brush my teeth for Days, My hair was unkempt, and at some point my hair was cut short because I had extremely snarled hair. Forgot to mention that I was in a psych ward due to suicidal thoughts somewhere around 2009. Anyways... long time ago.

what things typically trigger your isolation?

Certain human interactions

I Don’t have any friends, maybe one... and I tend to be overwhelmed very quickly.
 
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Hey @Tj's Paradigm Shift . Sorry you're going through such a hard time right now.

Isolation is such a double edged sword; sometimes it's our best way of coping, but sometimes that also has detrimental effects for us.

How are you doing now in terms of therapy? Or support IRL in general?

My T always said to me that when I couldn't feel hopeful for my situation, she would hold that hope for me.
Could I do that for you? Hold the hope that things will get better for you?

Keep hanging in there. Thanks for reaching out.


Thank you Bell Bird for the uplifting and sage words. Isolation has made me an even more vulnerable target. I live with nightmares, chronic anxiety, feelings of hopelessness but not ideations of suicide. For the first time ever, with no prior history of self-harm, I did attempt to opt out several months ago. The nightmare and hopelessness I've endured beginning last fall would have been too much for anyone to endure. I will not again, give anyone that satisfaction. I now live with harassment and intimidation, none of which, I ever deserved to go through. It's been one blow after another. I'll never grasp how some can stoop so low. My hope is to gain closure where possible through clinical processing of this nightmare. Everyone needs hope, prayer and decency. Thank you again Bell Bird. Go forward for a better day. Tj
 
I live with nightmares, chronic anxiety, feelings of hopelessness but not ideations of suicide. For the first time ever, with no prior history of self-harm, I did attempt to opt out several months ago.
I feel as though I could have written this post many times over myself.
I now live with harassment and intimidation, none of which, I ever deserved to go through.
This sounds really awful.
Are there any means for an intervention to stop this behaviour you're being subject to?

Here's hoping your clinical processing goes really well.
And for what it's worth, I'm really glad you're still here with us.
 
I feel as though I could have written this post many times over myself.

This sounds really awful.
Are there any means for an intervention to stop this behaviour you're being subject to?

Here's hoping your clinical processing goes really well.
And for what it's worth, I'm really glad you're still here with us.


It is a living nightmare Bell Bird. It would require legal recourse and I don't want that. I've never gone that route before.
 
I've felt really isolated ever since the end of my trauma. It's been over a year now.

I want to undo that, but I feel like I dont know how. The few friends I have, I dont visit too often, and often I'm too symptomatic to hang out, or symptoms flare up because of the anxiety preceding hanging out.

I have trouble even going out on walks, though that has been improving.

But I want to have a bunch of friends again, and do stuff again. I dont feel like I have anywhere where I belong, but I crave that.

I pretty much go outside for appointments, getting food and other essentials, and that's about it. For a while I was in a band but it broke up due to drama, which was really sad because it was one of the only places I felt like I belonged and had friends since the trauma. Then *poof* gone.

I want to start a new band but that makes me nervous too. It would help get me out of my shell though.
 
I do, a lot now. I don't see friends. I actively avoid people I know, if I have to go out.

I avoid neighbors.

I see my kids, if they come here, to my house. I go to group therapy. That is, pretty much, all I do now.

I have my guy friend, who is also a sufferer and I enjoy time with him (most of the time) but I LOVE time alone, when he is working and my kid is at school. I crave it. It's my recuperation time. The idea of a job and or study and having to leave the house a lot? Noooooo, not ready for that.
Last year I was inpatients 3 times. This year, group therapy, lots of sleep and necessary time alone. I am, slowly, getting better though. At least I can be here, for my grown up children, when they come over and they need me, because they really do.
Other people? I don't really have any energy for. Not ready for that, yet.
 
I thought that nothing really triggered my isolation mode. Well, there is my everyday isolation, then there is total escaping where I just try to sleep for days which does not happen very often. I got some news of a family member doing drugs and their teens witnessing it. That put me over the edge. After attempt to talk, I just crashed.
 
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