Do you 'isolate' yourself?
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Do you 'isolate' yourself?
| Tue, 12-26-2006 - 2:22am |
I have never asked how many other people with b/p have a tendency to 'isolate themselves', so I'm now posting that question for some feed-back. All my therapists over the years get on me because even when I'm feeling normal or maybe manic I hold up in my apartment and for an unknown reason I just won't go out and do fun things. I don't have any phobias about being around people or anything since I actually enjoy it (I get to watch the cute young things), but I just seem to hide at home for that yet to be discovered reason. Since I'm a photographer, one of my therapists several years ago TOLD me that I HAD to bring back some photos of some ducks that were in a city park lake in a near by city for my next session or she'd give me hell. So I forced myself to go and photo the ducks. I actually enjoyed it and even made a full day of the trip, but otherwise I still for the most part 'hold up' here in my apartment for no known reason. Each therapist finds my actions strange since basically I like to get out and travel or tour, but here I sit in front of my darn computer day after day just marking days off on my calendar accomplishing absolutely nothing... /// Does anyone else out there seem to do this strange thing? >> Tommy

Oh, yeah!
I isolate myself, but for me it is not so strange- I do it all the time.
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
I don't have an answer for you cause my DH is bipolar, not me. He works f.t. but aside from that I have noticed that he doesn't seem to socialize much except w/ me. When we go out together, we can really have fun, but it bothers me that he doesn't have any other friends. For Christmas we went to his friend Scott's house. Scott is mr. social guy and has a lot of gatherings at his house and since he's a single guy w/ no kids, this is probably a way to ensure that he is not alone on holidays. Scott is actually DH's brother's best friend from childhood and now DH's brother has moved away, so I suggested to DH, why don't you call up Scott and another friend of theirs and go out some night, just the guys? I know he won't do it, though. He says part of the reason he doesn't like to go out w/ friends is that he had a really bad short term memory problem and he would be embarrassed, but these are people he has known for a long time, so I know it wouldn't matter to them.
DH is also a good photographer. We have a book shelf full of photo books (how to's) and he must have 15 cameras at least but he hardly ever takes any pictures. His former therapist also gave him an assignment to take some photos. He was complaining that he lost his creativity due to some of the meds. We will go somewhere and he will carry a camera w/ him and then he won't take any pictures.
i isolate when i'm depressed. the only times i go out is when i absolutely have to. like for work, or to pick the kids up from some event they're doing, or doctor apporintments. the doc appointments i especially keep because if i don't that gives them ammunition to put me in the hospital because they know me well enough to know if i'm isolating and blowing off the appointments i've hit rock bottom. so i force myself out. yesterday was a prime example and one i ended up regretting, but it was better i guess than the sherrif's department showing up and carting me off to the behavioral health unit. my tdoc escorted me over there instead when i showed up for my appointment. now i have to call my pdoc and leave a voice mail for her to be seen asap when she returns. i have no idea what she will do. but i know i'll keep the appointment because i don't want another trip to the e.r. if i can avoid it.
sorry, got off track, but to answer your question, yes i isolate when i'm depressed. when i'm manic (which i haven't been in a while unfortunately) i'm out and about having a good time. that's when i'm the "social butterfly" so to speak.
traci