You can reach a trained crisis counselor through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 800-273-8255 or texting 741741. (as we begin the third year of this pandemic… I will try to remember to start every post with this)

Globally, as of 7 January 2022, there have been 298,915,721 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,469,303 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 9 January 2022, a total of 9,126,987,353 vaccine doses have been administered.

It’s winter.  It’s cold.  It’s dark.  I’ve been socially isolating.  There… I said it.

I’m guessing I might not be alone.  Social isolation in grief is oh so common.  Social isolation in winter is oh so common.  Conversations about social isolation?  Not so common. 

Sometimes social isolation isn’t just holing up at home and watching Netflix. It can be more nuanced.  Let’s use my own social isolation as a social experiment in the form of a little self-interview:

Have you left the house? 

Sure.  I have been going to work, running errands, I do not live alone. I see other people all the time.

Have you been answering your phone?

Uhhhh . . . . not exactly.

Have you been replying to text messages?

Hmmmm . . . yes.  Usually when someone finally texts me a question like

Your social isolation has felt completely terrible, right?

Wrong.  I think it kind of started somewhere between the first of November and Thanksgiving I didn’t have to answer the question “how are you doing?”.  I didn’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs.  Not only did it not feel completely terrible… there were moments it felt glorious.

Well… if it felt pretty great then is wasn’t a problem, right? 

Wrong again.  When I was just taking a break and getting a little alone time… that wasn’t a problem.  But that wasn’t social isolation, that was me being balanced and meeting my solitude needs.  The problem was when I started actively ignoring people… avoiding people I love and care about.

You’re writing a post about your social isolation now… so did you know all along you were socially isolating?

At first I was just taking some happy… healthy alone time.  I used the fact that I needed a break and that it was… at first… a good thing to stay in denial once it was creeping from alone time into isolation.  Then I rationalized by saying things to myself like, “I’m still getting out and doing things – which really just means I’m going to work, it’s fine”.   I still don’t really feel like coming out of it… or addressing it…. in fact I’m still feeling pretty much like being left alone.

You’ve admitted you have a problem… You are ready to work on this now right?

Let me introduce you to Omicron… Deltacron… and Flurona (End Interview)