First things first, give yourself time, isolation I think is created from external threat or danger, and feeling detached or cut off, or as if there's no where on the planet where you belong, which is mostly BS within our minds but we believe it strongly non the less, it's toxic poison in our souls, you can loose yourself, who you are, what you want, how you feel,you can get to the place where there's nothing left of who you once was before, it's not just isolation it's also denial, and self pity, sharing is everything, which no one enjoys sharing when they are isolating, who the hell wants to share when your isolated, guilt, shame, fear, panic, anger, internal disharmony, screaming, crying, doesn't alter anything, life goes on persistently as if nothing happened, nothing is wrong,isolation to me eliminates choices and options and different courses of direction, it's as if, we walk ourselves into a corner in life, to the point we no longer see any direction or any way forward from our present set of thoughts, beliefs, ideas, attitudes and perspectives, we begin to work through the fear, the toxic shame and panic, and begin to fee free again, free to live, love, laugh, cry, without guilt or shame or blame. I never understood how isolation worked or really what it was until discovering recovery, then working the steps, each step, each share, I slowly was given back a conscious, you have to have a conscious before you can listen to your conscious. the positive thing for me now, is that yes, I might have to go through some really dark shit in my life, but no matter how dark it may get, i never have to be in that place alone ever again, it's also about trust, for me, I never learned trust even from childhood, trust was not apart of my reality or life, people in recovery taught me to trust, to see that there is a very dark side to humanity but there's also a very caring and loving side to humanity that if I will just open my mind and heart, there can be a flood of giving and healing take place to this torn and battered soul and spirit.
Concerning your question, if you need time for yourself, where you dont need to explain yourself to anyone, where your not ready to be the actor or play the drama of life as William Shakespeare mentioned, write them a letter, and then just let them know you will be in touch with them when the time is right, if your consciously doing that, then to me, your not isolating, your actually withdrawing and going into solitude to heal yourself, and to reorganize yourself from within, to meditate, pray, just imagine, being sick in the hospital, your supporters can set there by you, but it's you going through it, it's your body that will take time to heal, the supporters cant do it for you, although they can sympathize with your situation, express their emotions and pain and fears, it's you that has to take time for yourself and that's ok and perfectly normal, no one could judge you for doing that, to reconnect with your heart and soul and spirit, that way when you do see your supporters again your healthy and wholesome again.
