[desirae]

Emile Dunkheim is a Sociologist of the 19th century who had done extensive research on suicide. He researched different groups of people, and came to the conclusion that people who are most likely to commit suicide are people that have weak ties to society and live in isolation.......I just wanted to know what ya'll thought about this, and if isolation contributed to your depression in anyway?

[allthegirls6]

isolation does contribute. I know it feels easier to not be around as i isolate myself. Like noone would miss me anyway!

[desirae]

I'd say it's been a large factor towards my depression and emotional problems too...which for some leads to suicide.

Allthegirls!.....we would miss you if you were gone!

[Rhapsody]

I personally feel those that commit suicide are the ones that no longer have a need for people and that feel as though NO ONE loves them.... they are alone (isolated from within).

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[desirae]

I agree with that concept because when a person gets into that pit of depression or any sort of psychosis they seem to isolate themselves from the others...but there had to have been a starting point that would have driven then away from people in the first place....wouldn't you agree?

[jennie]

i think all mental illness and suicidal behavior stems from perceptions of isolation.

do all persons who isolate from society have a mental illness? what about choice? can people choose to be non-social and physically isolate (become a hermit) away from society AND not have a mental disorder? i don't know the answer to these questions.

i know my suicidal thoughts and behaviors were directly linked to me feeling alone. i could not relate to any of my peers; i felt different. others were able to cope in life, but i couldn't. sometimes i isolated, sometimes i was outcasted, but both were due to the fact i am different than most people; i am abby normal.

when memories of my past traumas consistantly surface, what do i talk about? when people ask me how i am doing, what do i reply? if i say i'm not doing well, that may or may not open up a can of worms. if i do not tell the truth by saying that I well, then i feel guilt and shame and adds to the negative feelings. when my husband sees me dissociating and asks me "What's wrong?" what do i tell him?

mental isolation is tough to recover from

[froggie2]

Interesting thoughts. What comes first the chicken or the egg? For myself when I am o.k. i feel good, think I look good, can think clearly, can accomplish things, phone my friends and want to do things and am optimistic. Things are easy. I wonder why people can't just get going. When I am down, every thing is too hard. I can't think, don't want to do, just leave me alone. I don't phone people, don't go out of my house and look terrible. I feel whats the point of all this? Everything falls apart. And because I feel so awful I isolate. I hate it but am helpless to stop it. Taking my meds is hard. Eating good is hard. I come out of it. eventually. Some one drops by, someone makes me laugh, and I feel better. I think mirroring has a lot to do with it. When we see someone looking at us with love, caring, interest we feel better inside. We can store this up like squirrels for a rainy day. If there are things to give us joy like gardening, painting, etc we can be alone but somewhere we need to have social contact again. A touch, hug, smile can keep us going. When I have my worst times I realize I haven't made a point to talk to anyone, done anything new or different and had no "mirror " to share with someone. What if no one ever gets a smile, doesn't know anyone to phone, has been depressed for so long they have lost all their friends? They just can't cope anymore. Our brains are misfiring and make us believe we are worthless or expendible? We are missing a spark plug. The car is perfectly good but because it is not running we throw it out. What makes some people cross that line? No one told them? No one said hang on? I am here. Your just missing a spark plug.
I know for each day I have wanted to give up there was alway another sunny day somewhere. I have had to make myself phone someone even if only to say I feel awful. I have to drag myself out even when I don't want to . I think the worst part is the outside pressures from families who don't understand and lash out out of fear, to some doctors who push pills and don't keep track of people when their brains are not functioning safely. Then we hide away with our hurts and isolate more. I know in my good days I try to put plans in place to keep me going through the bad days. Groups where you are expected to show up every week whether you want to or not are a big help. I f I can forget everthing for awhile it helps. An old boyfriend committed suicide. Through counselling I learned i might want to follow. I have had to fight those thoughts and learn they are temporary and the sun does come out again. Tomorrow.

[Taonuviel]

Isolation is the basis of my depression. I've always been isolated... when I was a kid it was because I was fat... so I hid away from cruelty as much as possible in homeschooling. There were still church kids to disappoint me... and we switched churches often - which was both an escape and a compounding factor, since I faced the same thing each time. The cruelty ended in high school, oddly enough, when I entered public school, but I never could connect with anyone. Being shy, unathletic, depressed and suicidal didn't help.

I still can't connect with anyone. I guess it has to do with being borderline. But knowing why doesn't help... I still feel hopelessly isolated - empty inside.

But tonight's a bad night... who knows whether there's actually hope.