Had so much going on in their life that they just kinda "shut down"? Block out important people in your life and kinda hide away for awhile? If so... why? and what did you do to get out of it?

Yeah, nothing ever comes of it, eventually things slow down, and I just feel lonely.

I'm in the witness protection program.....

I wanted to get away from toxic people because they didnt see me as being anything than who they were...........i stopped talking to them which was hard.......but after some time and a lot of progress i realized that i had made the best decision for me and my kids........sometimes the people you think are your family and love you the most dont want you to be anything better than what they are so they become destructive and sabotage your life and this can be conciously or subconciously...........watch out girl............too many wolves out there you just have to identify them when you can.........good luck.......

Yes I just did that a bit ago. I just did a lot of hiking in the hills and concentrated on things that helped me feel better about myself. I also did some praying as well.

yeah... being so far away from my friends and family and every thing i have ever known, trying to keep a job i hate, struggling to pay rent, losing my fiance and pets, losing some people i thought were friends, being rejected by yet another person, etc... i wish i knew how to get out of it... ha

I have, I try to reconnect when life slows down or I sit and write a letter...stating that I love and care for them, but I have some things I need to straighten out before I can re surface from the dead, so to speak

yea right now im stressing, and wanted to just not talk to anyone today but i had no cloice and try and take care of the problem but that wont be taken care of untill monday now (aggggg)

I left a six year relationship. And came to this sight and IT saved me THROUGH all the beautiful people and friends who helped me just be me, and played in the posts . Wrote stupid poems .
And healed...all through just being on here...

Yeah, I shut down everyday for at least an hour after work. I drive around and maybe stop for coffee, anything to clear my mind of thoughts of work before I walk through my front door. I won't even answer my phone during this time. The stress of the day can be intense, so the transition is important.

Staying shut down and hiding (been there) is unhealthy, it should never be your destination in life. We need to remember the people who care about us

Wow...that's pretty cool..

I knew a man once that lost his wife and three children from a drunk driver in 94. He just kept breathing one day to the next. When you push people away hard enough sometimes those closest to you simply push back at just the right time with just the right thing and you reawaken like a sleeping flower. If you are shutting down from pressure, pressure is what we make of it. It only controls us if we let it. If you are shutting down from tragedy each must search out their own journey to survive it.

I guess all you can do is try and make it up when you do have time.

has anyone ever ignored their s/o while all this is going on? simply stopped talking to them for days or a week or so?

Yup...just getting over it now. I spent a lot of time sitting under a tree up in the woods and doing a lot of introspection and figuring out what really mattered, and who really mattered. Now it is time to pick up the pieces, if they can be and start out again

sheesh...you women sure are difficult, i must research this so i can find something to put men in a positive light...please forgive me for the delay....

Yes, if they're not being supportive, they lose their importance. I've been in relationships were my supposed s/o knows I'm going through a tough time with whatever, but chooses to ignore it and expects me to always act a certain way for her.

Then there are other people who care about us that will absolutely hound us to death to get us to tell them what is exactly wrong when we dont want to talk about it, it only makes matters worse.

I understand what you're saying... but isn't it kind of mean to simply ignore someone that's supposed to mean something to you? At least tell them you need some time... Just my thoughts...

We notice that because they are the closest to us when & if we shut down. It's easier to block things out than deal with all the pain at once.

Sometimes in life you got to go thru stuff, even very difficult stuff, it will make sense someday...maybe not for years..but ya gotta go thru the bad to know what the good is...and that's the truth...