Effects of Long Periods of Solitude

How do long periods of solitude affect you? For example, how does 24 hours or a week of solitude affect you?

If you have experienced negative effects from long periods of solitude, do you also attribute it to some other factor?

I would also like to know the experiences of any schizotypals viewing this thread, as I think a schizotypal's experience may be somewhat different from a schizoid's experience.

I'm more of a ...shizoid-sympathizer.

Anyway, I don't notice an effect. I had no friends for 2 years (usually I only have 1 at a time ) . I didn't notice a significant difference at all , even though people insist that 'long periods of isolation are bad for you'. I was still content, still had my fun, still acted like me.

I've had depressive episodes in my life, but they aren't rooted from isolation. I think it is more rooted in life change,though family seems to always want to attribute it to lack of socialization. Aggravating, honestly.

There is a bit of a social culture that you lose out on by going for long periods of time in isolation and you will notice a little bit of a difficulty either keeping up with conversation or caring about the thrust, often, of conversation. When human beings get together often, they invent sort of a social culture, and when you do not participate, as many schizoids don't, you become quite divorced from that social culture often replacing it with your own asocial culture, inventions from your own head, which are shared with no one, but evolved to the point where introducing anyone to your culture of one is almost painful.

I don't know if that's along the lines of what you were asking for, but this is what I notice most, as opposed to a more emotional reaction.

smirks I think that is a good way to put it. It might make one get 'out of practice' and so it would be harder for them to keep up , compared to if they are consistently exposed.

I don't really notice this other than me not really being able to talk about popular culture because I don't watch movies or watch tv much.

IntellectualCat wrote:How do long periods of solitude affect you? For example, how does 24 hours or a week of solitude affect you?

Is 24 hours long?
A week in complete solitude? Never had it, although I did month long trips and retreats.
24 hours doesnt affect me.

smirks wrote:There is a bit of a social culture that you lose out on by going for long periods of time in isolation and you will notice a little bit of a difficulty either keeping up with conversation or caring about the thrust, often, of conversation. When human beings get together often, they invent sort of a social culture, and when you do not participate, as many schizoids don't, you become quite divorced from that social culture often replacing it with your own asocial culture, inventions from your own head, which are shared with no one, but evolved to the point where introducing anyone to your culture of one is almost painful.

I don't know if that's along the lines of what you were asking for, but this is what I notice most, as opposed to a more emotional reaction.

I think that even if I do socialize, I feel divorced from the social culture. I feel like I am still in touch with my asocial culture, but at the same time, I feel afraid that people will impose their social culture on me by force. Also, I find that when I try to share my views, people tend to weirded out by them or have a hard time understanding them. While it doesn't affect how I feel about myself (except for confirming to me that I am different from other people), it still makes it feel painful to interact.

That said, being alone for a long period of time still does affect me. While I haven't ever gone a full 24 hours alone (it isn't really possible for me to that at this time), I have gone many days in a row being alone for a huge chunk of each day. The only effect, really, is that I become more creative, though as I have become more in touch with my differences, that effect has become less pronounced.

I can tell the effects are there, because I don't really like talking to my coworkers that much. They have tried in the past to invite me to things and I have shut them down or not returned their phone calls. I am unusually quiet when the subject of hanging out comes up. I don't and will never trust these people enough to see them outside of work, nor do I care to.

I have a couple of friends, only one of whom I actually see a couple of times a year, that I trust enough to open up too without having to deal with any awful consequences from.

Because of my trust issues, being Schizoid, and a general dislike of people overall, I have less and less of a tolerance for dealing with them altogether, and really am better off just staying alone. Safety might be safe, but it is needed. I've gotten to the point I hardly even open my door and my blinds anymore. I really just want to be left alone.

I like to keep people I know in their specific categories. If they try suggesting something I go 'back in the box!!! get back ! Back!

Interestingly enough I do have the patience to spend large periods of time places I don't want to be. It's become a bit of a gift, really. It's like I can completely place my brain elsewhere and just go through it. I spent 3 months solid with someone once, and have spent time even with family members for a month at a time. Pretty much takes a lot of pretending to be nice. :p hehehe.

The only way I can't really do it is if children are involved. if they are there I last maybe a week and I am out.

Oh or my older sister...My goodness that woman X_______________X

IntellectualCat wrote:

smirks wrote:There is a bit of a social culture that you lose out on by going for long periods of time in isolation and you will notice a little bit of a difficulty either keeping up with conversation or caring about the thrust, often, of conversation. When human beings get together often, they invent sort of a social culture, and when you do not participate, as many schizoids don't, you become quite divorced from that social culture often replacing it with your own asocial culture, inventions from your own head, which are shared with no one, but evolved to the point where introducing anyone to your culture of one is almost painful.

I don't know if that's along the lines of what you were asking for, but this is what I notice most, as opposed to a more emotional reaction.

I think that even if I do socialize, I feel divorced from the social culture. I feel like I am still in touch with my asocial culture, but at the same time, I feel afraid that people will impose their social culture on me by force. Also, I find that when I try to share my views, people tend to weirded out by them or have a hard time understanding them. While it doesn't affect how I feel about myself (except for confirming to me that I am different from other people), it still makes it feel painful to interact.

That said, being alone for a long period of time still does affect me. While I haven't ever gone a full 24 hours alone (it isn't really possible for me to that at this time), I have gone many days in a row being alone for a huge chunk of each day. The only effect, really, is that I become more creative, though as I have become more in touch with my differences, that effect has become less pronounced.

I feel a bit the same way. Part of what is so rewarding for social people is having aspects of themselves mirrored in their interactions. I think it's rewarding, and I know that there are people with personalities that allow them to absorb and mirror aspects of others, and they fit in wonderfully, but must have a very fluid concept of self. I understand that I have a very rigid concept of self -- not that I am not willing to grow and change, just that I'm not willing to do it for the sake of fitting in within a social group. I grow and develop to please myself. And this does make things difficult. It does strain relationships, and in general it makes relating with people very unsatisfying for all involved.

However, I have gone days without interacting with another person, and I think it's more of a relief than anything. I am already self-determined, so I don't miss the feedback from people. I do enjoy solitude and being alone with my own thoughts because there is harmony in it, even if it's just a harmony of one. I feel no pressure to take into account thoughts and opinions that have no value for me, to constantly validate or entertain others.

I am not (yet?) diagnosed with Schizoid Personality Disorder, but for a time I spent a vast majority of my time alone (6/7 days per week, etc). Honestly, the more I was alone, the more comfortable I felt alone. You could say it was addicting.

Now that I am in regular contact with someone, I feel a lot more uncomfortable overall, even a bit unstable. (All this said, I use the internet regularly, so I'm never truly alone; but I can always distance myself on the internet.)

That said, this could all just be coincidence. My life right now is very confusing. I do know, though, that I would be much more content alone.