I too like the reference of an 'emotional castaway' and the analogy of the volleyball. The need to connect to other human beings is a powerful driving force of human behavior... whether we are driven to form connections with other human beings or driven to avoid them is often dependent on our early attachment experiences. I can relate to being an 'emotional castaway'. I was driven to connect, because that is necessary for healthy human development, but I was driven to avoid because of early experiences. I was lucky enough to find a volleyball that weathered my attachment angst.

Not all volleyballs are created equal though.