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The Stages of Isolation

Isolation can be a major symptom and signifier for people with anxiety and depression issues. Defined as withdrawing from people and the world, isolation is an early indicator for mental health issues caused by chemical imbalances or reactions to real-world stressors. In either case, increased isolation can point to worsening mental health. However, some types of isolation are much more severe and indicative of a larger problem than others.

  1. Becoming Less Social

    • A mild form of isolation starts with becoming less social. If someone routinely goes to parties, hangs out with friends and talks to people on the phone, and then suddenly is unavailable most of the time, he has entered a stage of isolation that could mark the beginning of a worrying slide into poorer mental health. However, the individual's new behavior pattern may also result from becoming busier at work or some other factor. Becoming less social is not immediate cause for alarm, though it should be tracked and watched.

    Incrased Sleeping, TV Watching and Internet Use

    • Increased TV watching can be a form of isolation.

      Another stage of isolation relates to increased behaviors that actively isolate an individual. Increased sleeping, watching TV, and Internet use are all activities that fill a person's time in ways that are isolating and distracting, and they can become cause for concern. This kind of behavior has gradations and varying levels, but on the extreme end it can be a sign of significant distress and isolation.

    Ending Relationships

    • Ending relationship can be a sign of severe distress and isolation.

      A much more severe stage of isolation comes when someone ends all or most of her relationships with others. This behavior can indicate paranoia or a desire to commit suicide, as well as anxiety or depression; take it extremely seriously, as the person in question is likely in a high level of distress. Finding help for someone who is actively ending relationships can prove difficult, as the individual is avoiding contact with others, but it plays a crucial role at this stage.

    Refusing to Leave the Domicile or Interact with People

    • In extreme cases of isolation, people refuse to leave their residence and may cut off all contact with others. Helping these individuals can prove difficult at this point, as their isolation is so severe that you may find it difficult to reach them in many ways. This type of isolation indicates severe mental illness and is often associated with poor self-care as well. If you know of someone at this stage of isolation, you must help him find therapeutic or psychiatric help.

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