You are right, 51%. Isolation is not only very common, but it's a very known defense mechanism that we do. It's become the story of my life as well.

It's necessary to open up. At least, here, it's anonymous and non-judgmental.

You are not alone. I am there with you too.

Good for you! Great insight! Interaction with others can help as long as they are safe people. We human beings were created to be in relationships...healthy ones. It helps us from getting mislead in our own minds.

Depression never really made me feel isolated.

PTSD definately has. I find that when i have a trigger, i feel safe just being with me. Because if I am with other people they don't get it and probe me and make me feel worse. Its a relief, after a trigger, to just sit quietly alone.

My trauma began 3 years ago tomorrow. Its been quite some journey, and during that time I managed to lose my entire social network, nobody could understand or connect to me.

But in a way sometimes its not that bad a thing. because of the PTSD I am happy to be alone. In fact, I often need it, or it can become overwhelming. Silence, peace, is a nice place. At least i know that I cant be damaged if i am on my own.

I was never like this before. But it is something that has happened in my life over the last 3 years.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Mayanicole, I relate a lot to what you say. Nobody understands it (unfortunately, with this trauma, almost nobody could, I wouldn't have before it happened to me), and so I often need to be alone when having flashbacks as well/to process/etc. To find peace. Actually, I do have one friend who has been particularly understanding, even though she has to do have an open mind to do so, and there's no way she can really understand. I slept over her house recently and woke up from terrible nightmares. She was already up; she walked in and asked how I was doing, and I looked at her and tears started streaming down my face profusely. I had mentioned to her about having nightmares. It's pretty intense to wake up that scared, completely tense, and defensive. Then she started rubbing my back very calmly and speaking to me very gently. I had mixed feelings. It was nice to get human support. Even if someone can't understand specifically something you went through, everyone (or most people) can understand terror, nightmares, and can see you are traumatized (in that state anyway). Anyways, that was just one experience. But I'm a social person, and I do crave being with people and just having a good time! I think what holds me back is not knowing what to say about myself in the recent past, since I've been through so much trauma, much of which others can't understand. So I don't know what to do. Also because I get like that sometimes around others--affected by the trauma: gripped by fear, spacing out, etc.

I definitely go into a cave. I even close the blinds. I'm processing. And since our brain chemistry shoots out too much stuff our bodies reactions are sometimes disabling, so I hole up until I have my body chemistry back in order. And I do like to socialize. I like people. I like having fun. All of my Friends know about my PTSD. It's not Me, it's something I have, and I am treated thusly. I don't really talk to other people about it. They have no idea.

These balancing act things that we do are amazing to me, that we can do them, do do them, that we know instinctively sometimes what to do. I avoid new input for a while, turn down or off all sounds and let my brain and body rest. It's okay. It's what we need to do.

There is such a thing as too much isolation, imho. Therapists are right about that. However, there is also such a thing as good reason to measure the amount of social contact we can have, too. That depends on each of us and our symptoms and circumstances.

It took me a long time in therapy to have the self-confidence to assert myself about that. Indeed, like many whether they have PTSD or not, following my divorce in 2000 I went "on the market" and dated in middle age. Part of that was to "prove" to myself and others that I wasn't isolating "too much" and I was "getting over it."

In time I realized I was happy being single, and that it wasn't unhealthy isolation. In fact, what was unhealthy was dating some of the people I met after my divorce. I found out those of us who are trauma survivors with PTSD aren't the only ones with problems.

There are times when it's ok and safe for me to spend time alone writing, reading, listening to music, practicing the guitar, doing many constructive activities that aren't social. There are times, too, when I actually leave a party at work early specifically for my well being, if loud music or something of that nature has triggered my PTSD symptoms or just is wearing me down. I don't need to suffer to prove I'm sociable and not a PTSD hermit.

Balance is what seek here. Being safe and productive is the point. If we're alone, there's nothing wrong with it unless it's not safe or it's keeping us from some productive activity. We don't need to beat ourselves up for being alone. Nor do we need to withdraw from any social activity we want to be part of. Geezer that I am, I still love rock concerts and have tickets for Fleetwood Mac on tour this spring.

Last thought, if I may. One thing that would help me not want to isolate, personally, is if society would lighten up with its stigma toward trauma survivors with PTSD. I've experienced 5 serious breaches of HIPA confidentiality in the workplace, at church, and even from a spurned partner I dated.

It's very unfair and retro to suffer that stigma socially nowadays. It can make me feel socially unwelcome, to say the least.. I hope we all grow beyond that some day.

Muji, I was in a court case once, and in the middle of it was the only time I was every hospitalized, and by the time I was home and good, my attorney said the other attorneys already knew everything about my stay in the hospital. How, I kept asking? And that p****d me off as well as the huge complications it just added to the case.

I look for balance with being with the world, but apart for my soothing time, and being a part of the world.. Just coming back from being in the cave. It's nice out here. Got a really nice visit today from somebody I didn't expect, and it ended up he wanted my opinion on something that is happening in his life. Then we talked, and I brought out the crystal bowls. By the time he left we were both blissfully high and relaxed on crystal tones. That's a nice part of life.

I'm looking forward to participating more in life when I get this money/brother thing fixed. It will be soon.

Hi, Hopeinjoy, what you and the others have said here has really hit home. I won't even leave my room except when my Husband takes me to my Doctors visit. Some issues have happened recently that have sent my fear and feelings of danger into overdrive. You are so right about spending too much time alone can enhance the feelings of suicide. That's where I'm at at the moment.

I have never had a problem with being alone, but I think it depends on what the need to isolate is about. Is it hiding from painful memories, danger, or being retraumatised? Or is it the need to slow down, comfort yourself and regroup? Isolation isn't bad as long as you try to understand why you are doing it. Different reasons may need different interventions.

"Sometimes hanging out with people gives me a punch of energy and hope--a reminder of how great life can be," What a beatiful statement! I wish you a Great life and plenty of laughter! You'll get there!!

Milla, so much for HIPA law about patient privacy, huh? Geez.