What happens to you psychologically while alone?

[Hosker]

We've all been left alone for a few days. Alone, with little or no physical or emotional contact with others, no one to help or guide us, no one to give comfort.

Is it any wonder some of us go a little bit crazy?

I myself become incredibly paranoid. Even though I live rurally in the sleepiest place in the world, I carry my pocket knife with me everywhere, wear warm and heavy clothes, grow out my facial hair (for some reason...) try to find comfort in anything and everything, I begin to truly fear death, think about if there really is a God and a Devil and start to half-believe in stupid fucking things like 2012 and the Illuminati.

It turns me from a proud and confident guy, walking with my chest thrown out and a smile on my face, into a creeping skulker, hunched over on myself and clinging desperately to comforts.

It's bizzare and unnerving, and pretty damn scary to know this can happen to myself, that I am truly this fragile.

Why I'm making this thread? It's happening to me right now, and I find it fascinating...
Is it just my survival instincts kicking in? I don't know.

What happens to you, if anything? What strange turns does your thinking take? What happens to your temperament?

You may interested to find out whether you are introverted or extroverted. As a rule: introverts prefer to be alone while extroverts don't.

Short test: http://www.okcupid.com/tests/the-introvert-extrovert-test1
Longer but more accurate test: http://www.personal.psu.edu/j5j/IPIP/ipipneo120.htm

It already sounds as though you're extroverted, but it will be good to find out as it will be the reason you don't like being alone.

OT: It really doesn't make much difference to me; when someone else is in the house I just stay in my room anyway.

 

[Hosker]

I generally prefer being left on my own. I can do what I want, when I want...

As such was the case when my parents last went on a family holiday, and took my sibling with them. That was until I heard an odd noise coming from the back of my house, specifically the bathroom... I did what anyone naturally does, I grabbed a sword and went to investigate. Turns out a guy was half way through the bathroom window... thusly, I now get somewhat paranoid when on my own for extended durations.

What happened then? Did he just run off? The best way to make sure no one breaks in is to leave lights on around the house but make it so people can't see in, probably.

 

[Ambi]

I generally prefer being left on my own. I can do what I want, when I want...

As such was the case when my parents last went on a family holiday, and took my sibling with them. That was until I heard an odd noise coming from the back of my house, specifically the bathroom... I did what anyone naturally does, I grabbed a sword and went to investigate. Turns out a guy was half way through the bathroom window... thusly, I now get somewhat paranoid when on my own for extended durations.

If you don't mind.. did he see you with the sword? If so, how did he react?

snip

I know that wasn't directed at me, but I did get something out of it. It helped clarify the position I am in now and reassure me that things will get better.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

Oh my god I'M ALONE RIGHT NOW THEWALLSARECLOSINGIN!!!

Nothing really happens aside from boredom?

 

[Angerwing]

Nothing. I tend to work better with being alone that I do with regularly being surrounded by people. Regardless, I do work a lot of the time, and my work is 100% interpersonal communication. I'm fairly psychologically secure, so I basically thrive mentally in most environments.

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

I like to be alone. I also like to spend time with my friends, but I have no desire for constant company. Also, masses of people annoy me.

yup, this sums things up well for me.

I don't start getting depressed, I don't get paranoid...I don't start thinking philosophically. Damn, I seem to be well-balanced individual! Who would have known...?

I'm very happy to spend long amounts of time alone in my room despite living with four other people (including my girlfriend).

When I used to live with my parents, whenever they went on holiday for a week I'd be all like "hell yeah, alone for a week!", then proceed to hook my PS3 up to the massive TV in the living room. I'd quite happily spend days without seeing or talking to another human being, and it was great. If anything, I'd get annoyed if I had to talk to someone; I'd feel like they were ruining my prefect solitutde or something. I guess I wasn't completely alone though as I had my dog but...nevermind.

Of course, I enjoy being with friends and hanging out with them too, but I'm pretty comfortable sitting alone, reading and whatnot.

 

[FlamingForce]

I go: "FINALLY!!!" And turn on the music and video games. I really prefer being home alone.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I would embrace being alone but it's a bad thing. Granted yes I like being alone like some people since I prefer peace and quiet and I find being along is in solitude. However the longer I would be alone, the more cold and devoid of emotion I would become.

 

[Jonluw]

A more appropriate question would be what happens to me when I'm not alone

 

[darksakul]

Their is alot of things I could say, about 1/3 of that would get me in trouble with the mods, such as Sell-fulfillment blah blah blah yackity smackity blah blah blah.

I would use this time for some introspection, look into your self and see what you want to change and improve upon your self, not for the sake of others, btu what would make you better in your own eyes.

 

[SugarBit]

I find it pretty liberating, actually.

I just end up with less regular sleeping and eating hours, very loud music, a lot more dancing and a lot less clothes.

But then again, I've never been alone for more than five days. I guess it would get rather depressing after a while. Dancing around in your bra to to 'Old Time Rock and Roll' can't entertain one forever.

 

[DrEmo]

I start cleaning. I don't know why, but if I'm alone for a long time I get the urge to clean.
Other than that my mind starts racing (thinking about everything) even while playing videogames (I play on a sort of 'auto pilot' mode while my mind is somewhere else.)

 

[badmunky64]

I enjoy my solitude. My brothers are 8 and 11 years older than me. when I was 5 they were 13 and 16. We had very little common ground and I felt alone amongst my family. So I relied on my imagination to fight boredom and sometime loneliness.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm used to it to the point were I enjoy it, in short burst at least.

 

[Jedoro]

I think about apocalypses, what I'd do in them, and randomly decide who I know that would survive the initial chaos and team up with me. Generally involves convincing myself everyone else died, so death doesn't really bother me anymore. I know that from experience, too, been to a best friend's dad's funeral and didn't bat an eyelash. Good man, too. I'll also essentially run battle drills in my head when alone and free to think: combatives, small unit tactics, firing methods, and the like.

No reminiscing, regretting, or dwelling on the past; if I'm left alone, I think about the present and the future. I love it. Not like I pay too much attention to the past, anyways. It's history, which means I read it in a "textbook," don't get emotionally attached, and learn what lessons I can from what happened.

 

[ApeShapeDeity]

Uh, well I worked for 18 months straight doing 12-14 hr night shifts. So, I slept when all normal people were at work and basically saw no-one I care to talk to for the whole time...

I just developed a distasteful affinity for porn.

Sorry mum.

 

[ApeShapeDeity]

Oh yeah, sometimes I pretend I'm some Jason Bourne spy type.

Sorry to... everyone?

 

[cahtush]

we speak to ourselfs

 

[Aulleas123]

Psychology: The scientific study of human and animal behavior and mental processes.

If you want to know what happens to you psychologically, get a camera and take some notes on your behavior.

If you want to know what happens to your mental processes, then ask "What happens to your mental processes while alone?" It may be nitpicking, but if I got "Dragon Age: Origins" confused with "Neverwinter Nights" then there'd be an uproar in this community. Operational Definitions are your friend, never forget that.