Social Isolation
 

I am a social person, meaning I actually feel sad and lethargic if I do not get meaningful social interaction. This isolation is really hard on me. Conversations are difficult. No one gets me anyways. I cannot go anywhere due to sensitivity to sound. I am getting cabin fever. I feel so frustrated. Another dark day...

Will, you sound exactly like my son. He was such a social person, a true extravert before his injuries. His inability to converse is the cruelest thing to happen to him, he says. I take him to the park across the street where he can see people and pets, but he cannot talk with the people, even if he can pet the doggies. So sorry you are having this problem too.

BTW, I worked with someone named Will Gardner in Seattle. Perhaps a relative of yours.

will,

Have to tried to maintain your social relationships over the phone? That way, you only have one person talking and a focus of voices. I find that if I need to be in a room with a group of people, I need to be towards a corner where nobody can be behind me talking. If all the voices are in front of me, I can tolerate it much better.

Or use FaceBook chat or such.

It is not uncommon for me to go a week or longer with only talking to my wife.

I am a very social person as well.. for the first few months I did not go anywhere or let more than one person over... I did text some and FB chat some...


I went to an event for a cycling team my husband is on about 6 weeks after... I had earplugs and only lasted about an hour. I had one of the friends that I FB chat there with me to help me tell people what was going on and so that she could help finish my sentences, while my husband did his socialization...

Next outing was at about 12 weeks... went to dinner for my birthday with 3 couples... nice quiet restaurant was out for about 3 hours total...

Next month was out for only 2 hours before I was done...

Just depends on the place... I find that I am building up again to be out with 2 or 3 couples for an evening and I am ok the next day...

Now I say all of that to say this... I am odd in that I have some CSF build up and when I drink wine, I actually feel better... I still require earplugs sometimes depending on where we go and what we do... but only if it is going to be in a crowded place...

I hope this gets better for youi!!!

i was a loner before the injury but was well liked. now everyone is gone. due to my abi i did have hallucinations and acted bizarrely the first few months but geez, you are friends with somone a lifetime and you dessert them just like that? not one or two or three but all my childhood friends desserted me. its what hurts most. i picture them at their childrens' baptism communion and birthday parties and i'm not there and it rips my insides to pieces and drives me to despair.
my girlfriend is more social but i was the one with all the friends and with them being lost it is just me and her. and the cat.

I'm homebound most of the time. And I sleep a lot.

So, I rather enjoy the change of pace social time brings.

I wear headphones to control noise issues. For conversations, I text. I also ask for help a lot. (I need a lot of help). I usually just sit there and don't try to talk. (still can't talk)

What I really hate is when other people (strangers - I can deal with my friends) talk about their health problems. I deal with that by trying to stand up - and since I can't stand up, I either fall or totter. Then someone comes over and helps me.

My best social life comes from asking someone for help - for example drive me somewhere, or do something for me.

I practice my response to what people always ask me "how am I?" I know I can't just casually chat.

I have some serious and long-time relationships online, places where I am still a respected and honored authority. That feels nice but no, it's not my real life any more. I have to deal with real life.

my sister has bee complaining about a virus and listen and a concerned. she ct know what i feel. my brother said once that a person next to you can have the most painful cancer but if you have a paper cut that is worse to you. i'm afraid it is somewhat true.

I tried to go out to eat the other night - I brought foam earplugs but as soon as I walked in the restaurant I was completely overwhelmed and had to leave.

I am supposed to travel in a few weeks to go to my grandmothers 100th birthday. I have to fly cross country, and deal with all kinds of stuff that seems like far too much. My issues have been getting progressively worse and really do not want to go. My family completely does not understand.

I feel your frustration and pain.

I used to enjoy socializing but I just can't be out around people for too long, now, my head starts hurting, my eyes hurt and I just want to run.

I do talk to people on the phone as I find it easier sometimes, my very best childhood friend is kaput now...never hear from her, it hurt but now I've gone in to the mode of well, how good a friend was she anyway, this I suppose is my new life so hopefully it will eventually bring new people in to it.

I get when you say you feel sad and lethargic, I'm the same way, not being around people now brings me down, just being inside by myself for most of the time "dulls" me.

Hope you feel better...:grouphug:

Floyd4

I recently had to fly home to see family -first time travelling by myself since my accident - i booked a direct flight, noise cancelling headphones for noise sensitivity and a note from my doctor requesting assistance getting to my flight. at my family function I used foam earplugs and took alot of little breaks from the social action. I had a small meltdown at the airport when a flight was boarding at the gate next to mine but I just turned up my music and looked at the floor to reduce all the noise and visual stimulation