April 28th - US - Webinar on Social Isolation Among LTS.

[Jim Allen]

https://www.poz.com/blog/join-webinar-social-isolation

The Reunion Project, a national network of long-term HIV/AIDS survivors, is producing a webinar, “Making the Connection: Long-Term Survivors Discuss Loneliness and Isolation,” set for 7pm ET on Thursday, April 28th. You can register for free right here. https://www.poz.com/blog/join-webinar-social-isolation

The one-hour webinar will feature two long-term survivors, Gina Brown and Arriana Lint, discussing their lived experience with social isolation, and therapist David Fawcett, Ph.D., offering clinical perspective and advice.

[Jim Allen]

Dump.

[leatherman]

ugh. I haven't let my husband see this because he would make me sit in on this webinar.

We just got back from visiting his mom and family way over in Arizona (2061 miles from our house!). By all the teasing I got from the in-laws I had to assume that my snitch of a spouse had been telling tales about my stay-at-home-itis. But it wasn't even just them. Some of our best friends back home in South Carolina replied on some of my Facebook pix about how surprised they were that I was somewhere else besides home. I swear I really do get out all the time (the gym, stores, friends, family, etc) but even I do have to fess up that I stay at home whenever I can.

sigh. people just don't get how sick I was for how long and how that screwed with my psyche ... and let's not forget the PTSD I got from three burglaries and a house fire. Every time I pull up to my home, I still glance at the front door, hoping not to see it busted open, and it's always quite gratifying not seeing a fire engine outside my home. I like to think that I'm just a homebody now and not a hermit like I was in the past; but experience has simply taught me that staying home doesn't get me sick, burglarized or my stuff burned up. In other words Isolation = Safety (even if it results in boredom and loneliness).

social isolation doesn't just come from PTSD though, but simply from circumstances in general. As many LTSes on Social Security Disability know, not having a job isn't all it's cracked up to be. For a while I was too sick to work, but years later when I had recovered more, I couldn't afford to work - I'd lose all my medical care, prescription coverage, etc. For a while I filled my days with advocacy and social work, along with a LOT of gardening. These days it's me and the doggo puttering about the lawn and house until my husband comes home from work. Not working is lonely. Not only do you not have co-workers/customers to interact with; but you don't have the funds, or transportation, to go places where other people are. Oh yeah, then there's also living without all those friends who died a long time ago; aging without family around; discrimination, or the closet, because of homophobia in neighborhoods and/or retirement and nursing facilities.

Like poverty, social isolation is easy to fall into and hard to get out of - even when trying to improve the situation. I don't want to go places but I don't want to be lonely either, so it's something I'm always working to improve.

[delilah07]

ugh. I haven't let my husband see this because he would make me sit in on this webinar.

We just got back from visiting his mom and family way over in Arizona (2061 miles from our house!). By all the teasing I got from the in-laws I had to assume that my snitch of a spouse had been telling tales about my stay-at-home-itis. But it wasn't even just them. Some of our best friends back home in South Carolina replied on some of my Facebook pix about how surprised they were that I was somewhere else besides home. I swear I really do get out all the time (the gym, stores, friends, family, etc) but even I do have to fess up that I stay at home whenever I can.

sigh. people just don't get how sick I was for how long and how that screwed with my psyche ... and let's not forget the PTSD I got from three burglaries and a house fire. Every time I pull up to my home, I still glance at the front door, hoping not to see it busted open, and it's always quite gratifying not seeing a fire engine outside my home. I like to think that I'm just a homebody now and not a hermit like I was in the past; but experience has simply taught me that staying home doesn't get me sick, burglarized or my stuff burned up. In other words Isolation = Safety (even if it results in boredom and loneliness).

social isolation doesn't just come from PTSD though, but simply from circumstances in general. As many LTSes on Social Security Disability know, not having a job isn't all it's cracked up to be. For a while I was too sick to work, but years later when I had recovered more, I couldn't afford to work - I'd lose all my medical care, prescription coverage, etc. For a while I filled my days with advocacy and social work, along with a LOT of gardening. These days it's me and the doggo puttering about the lawn and house until my husband comes home from work. Not working is lonely. Not only do you not have co-workers/customers to interact with; but you don't have the funds, or transportation, to go places where other people are. Oh yeah, then there's also living without all those friends who died a long time ago; aging without family around; discrimination, or the closet, because of homophobia in neighborhoods and/or retirement and nursing facilities.

Like poverty, social isolation is easy to fall into and hard to get out of - even when trying to improve the situation. I don't want to go places but I don't want to be lonely either, so it's something I'm always working to improve.

 I hurt my shoulder at work so I’ve been home since April 21. It is boring and lonely. But, I hate work. Socializing is difficult because I just don’t trust or like people. I also fear I have enough reasons not to be liked.
 
 
 

[leatherman]

Socializing is difficult

you said a mouthful, sister