What Is Emotional Isolation And Why Do I Have It?

Read Time:3 Minute, 33 Second

By Shae Hansen

Please note: This post is by no means a medical recommendation. I am simply describing the resources I use that helped me in this particular situation.

About a month ago, my mother in law was visiting from Maryland and told my husband about her experience with finding out she has Hypothyroidism. I had been to my doctor before seeing my mother in law and he had done a thyroid test on me, but my mother in law told me that doctors don’t do full panel thyroid tests (here’s a post explaining more!).

Hypothyroidism

She showed me a chart (see the chart here!) of all the symptoms, and I was surprised to find that I had most of the symptoms of low thyroid. One of the symptoms really jumped out at me. It was called isolation. I was a bit confused by what exactly that meant. (Psst! !t’s not just people who have thyroid issues who have emotional isolation! Anyone suffering from hormonal imbalances or struggling with depression is susceptible as well!)

When I got the chance, I looked up what isolation meant. I came across the mention of mental isolation, and figured that’s probably what the symptom chart meant. So, what is emotional isolation? Emotional isolation is when someone mentally distances themselves from other people. People with emotional isolation may seem to be constantly pulling away from others.

Emotional isolation

It made so much sense! For years I had been pulling away from people. It usually happened when I moved. I would have amazing friends in the place where I was living, and then I would move and I would pull away from them. As the years progressed I made fewer and fewer friends until the only people I really talked to a whole lot, besides people at work, were my mom and my husband.

I had no idea that having low thyroid could affect me so much! Since discovering that I had all the mentioned symptoms on the chart (except for about four), I have been taking thyroid supplements from my local health food store. I have been feeling so much better! If you suspect you have low thyroid I highly encourage you to do some more research about it!

Home is safe

Many people who don’t have thyroid issues deal with emotional isolation as well! I know that my depression does not help when I have the feeling of just wanting to be at home and never come out again. Home is safe. Home is predictable. I get it. Even without all of my mental health issues and imbalances and whatever else under the sun I have, I am just a socially awkward person.

I’m the type of girl who says the wrong things, misreads social cues, laughs at things that no one else does, and totally offends people without even trying to be offensive. That’s just me. So I have learned that I don’t really like being around people all that much, because no matter how hard I try I’m just not good at it.

There is hope

There is hope though. I try to surround myself with people who are just like me and who completely understand how awkward and flawed I am. It’s nobody’s fault that I am the way I am! I’ve come a long way to accepting it’s who I am. Being around people who understand makes me feel so much better about myself. A lot of them are actually going through the same things I am health-wise as well!

It’s not a bad thing to want to be alone sometimes, but being alone all the time gets incredibly sad. I know that it definitely makes my depression worse when I am alone for extended periods of time. I know it can be hard, but even getting out for short amounts of time can be very helpful! Like most things, the more you are around people, the easier it gets. Especially if you surround yourself with people who get you!

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment! Hope this helped!

-Shae

Reproduced with permission, originally posted on Shade of Shamrock