Hi, Bizi,

This one causes me difficulty:
I often have to shield myself from what is going on around me -- including t.v. and shopping malls, theaters, restaurants, --- I avoid all of those.

This is true:
This is exactly what I do. I leave a meeting if I have to and completely skip a meeting if I can. I like being inside my home. Sometimes being around nature (under a tree, near water, . . . ) is also helpful.

M