I am a hermit and people don’t like it. I feel best alone and am not interested in social situations. Was just told off by a family member for being a hermit and now I feel terrible.
Is it the illness or is something wrong with me?
I don’t want to socialise at big family outings and I only see one friend generally although I have more online friends.
Anyone relate?
There’s nothing wrong with you. I can relate, I try to be with friends at least once a month to make sure the friendships are still there, but I like to do my things alone. 
Thanks Minni for the reply.
Is it a schizophrenia thing though?
My family and some friends are always getting together and it makes me feel like a loser that I never show up.
I come from a more ethnic family so there’s always relatives getting together. I have no interest but I’m made to feel wrong.
I don’t know, I know plenty of people who like to be alone and they don’t have sz…
I think sz’s tend to isolate more than other people, but isolation isn’t necessary to be an sz. Isolation isn’t exclusive to sz’s either.
i think it’s a common problem for people with sz to isolate themselves and avoid social situations, it’s something i do too.
i would say it’s different to ‘normies’ who are hermits… they may just prefer being on their own. with sz i think it’s a case of not actually liking/enjoying isolation, but instead hating the feelings of awkwardness and paranoia when in society.
Thanks for the replies so far.
I love being alone. I’m not too paranoid around others but I find social situations too overstimulating.
Why is being a hermit such a bad thing? I guess I never see family and most friends, but is that such a terrible crime? TBH I’m thinking like this because my mother just called me a hermit in a judgmental way.
everyone’s different, some people just prefer their own company. i don’t see anything wrong with that myself.
Yes. I don’t like F2F interaction for the most part and prefer to limit it to 3 people or less. After close 2 decades of marriage, I still don’t understand why my neurotypical wife wants me to visit her relatives (especially parents). It should be enough that I LIKE the occasional piece of crap they post on Facebook.
I view hermatism as sensible.
My mom says I isolate myself too much, I meet friends once a month and that’s enough for me. Make sure you explain why, it helps the relationship.
Thanks all.
I did explain but the negative calling me a hermit was a bit wounding. I gotta get over it.
Honestly id just like to socialise once a month like you Minni.
Wish most normals wouldn’t think extroversion is something to be championed.
The lack of being able to follow conversations in a crowded room is the part of hermitism that my sz causes.
I saw socialisation as a chore towards recovery for a while, simply because it is one of the variables by which one’s recovery level is assessed. Ofcourse, these could be wrong variables, but I didn’t go into that. Now I enjoy meeting friends at least once a week. I also came to see my schizophrenia as a pathology of sick appreciation all kinds of individuality, something that I needed and wanted to overcome. In this sense it affected my personality/values, and my recovery has also meant a transformation of those for me. Which has been very rewarding in itself.
I am seeing my youngest step daughter today but most weeks I see no one socially.
Part of the problem is my difficulty with social interaction and making friends, and the other is my reluctance to put myself out there through paranoia and social anxiety.
Most of the time I enjoy my own company but sometimes I feel lonely.
The ideal for me would be a drop in but there are no mental health related ones ,or at least ones that are not time limited in terms of being able to go there.
im socially isolated and don’t have friends.
Iv been thinking about this recently. Growing up I actually used to be very social, you could never keep me in. I was never the loudest, actually I was quite quiet but I still had loads of friends and liked socialising. Since the psychosis’s hit iv totally isolated myself from all my friends. I don’t see anyone but my family. I dread any social interaction now days in advance. When I do go and there are groups I struggle to keep up, have little to say and often have a negative experience because of social anxiety. I seem to have lost motivation to socialise. I know I should make an effort and often wish I was more normal but struggle to change. Im jealous of normals to whom it just comes so naturally. I’m in a few what’s app groups of friends groups in the past and I find I have v little to add so iv kinda stopped participating altogether.
Yes I used to be normal then the sz hit and now I’m a hermit
I am Kermit, the hermit with a permit.
I just avoided going to a friends house today with other friends. It’s hard to explain but I’m just so uncomfortable being around people even my friends. It’s like things are still the same for them and my life turned upside down with sz. I don’t feel like I can talk that much then theres the negative thoughts of being on benefits and having been out of work so long.
I’m a hermit 
Yes.
I enjoy silence and solitude. My books, my baggy shirts and PJs. Not having to dress nice, wear makeup, put on a face and speak to people.
I rarely leave my house. I sometimes go to my mom’s or her boyfriend’s to help out with a few things, and I procrastinate going to the store till I have nothing left to eat and I have to go or I’ll starve. I make up lies and excuses when asked to go out and do things.
Currently trying to make myself go to the theatre to see Suicide Squad. Hasn’t happened yet…
I think I classify as a hermit.
Yes. I think so.
I do not have friends.
Although I do believe i have friends in spirit.
I do go out but it can drain and exhaust me etc
It is weekend now and i have spent all week end in my apartment.
This is the usual.
But I feel i need lots of time to myself.
A man i knew had a gf who was similar to this. She worked p/t and as they lived together he gave her her own room where she could have space and although it was his place he never entered that room out of respect for her “lone time” and space.
She was behaving very outgoing and bubbly around people and was a fabulous homemaker.
Wow. she made his house so beautiful and he ended up giving her the house when they broke up.
A awesome lady i reckon.
she was honest and upfront about how she is from what ive heard.
I could and want to marry and/or have serious relationship and live with man but its good if he knows about me and knows me somewhat before we move in together.
I still work 2 hours week but could not keep job where i was to be social support worker drinking tea with someone…
we kinda sat in silence.
torment. aaaaaaa aaaaa
I do go out to gym etc.
I am a pretty bubbly, outgoing spirit i think and can joke n laugh etc and be nice but in person/in da flesh i go all awkward? quiet…
cant seem to hold conversations.
this can be problemo if going out for dinner.
I avoid dinners out usually. Not that anyone asks me out to dinner anyway but a future date could do.
If I was seeing a man he could support me in person in such situations and it could become “doable”.
If im feeling unwell then simply some time to myself can do wonders.
Sleep a lot, eat well, shower or bath, etc
Its so strange because really im social but thats in spirit perhaps.
In person I am as i am.
It can feel awfle in social situations but i do what i can .
I also am believer that other people can be in my body and i in there body and that most of my life my energy was in other peoples bodies.
Some people can recognise my energy as me and match it with my real body.
It can be nice when some people understand that one is hermit and why etc and accept that .