I'd never thought too much about it, but what you're describing is similar to my playbook. When I'm feeling up to it, I attend AA meetings & meet others. There are these two 70+ year old men whose wives died within the past five years I keep in contact with by phone because they are very lonely. Now that I'm depressed & isolating, it's become a chore to talk & I just want to be left alone. It's been like that all my life...Feeling in the upper regions & I'm quick to empathize with others & make unstated pacts (in my head) to do some karmic work. Then! POOF!!! I'll just drop off the screen for months. I fear I've let a lot of people down. I'm not a reliable person because of my MI.