Troubled times

Over the past 18 months I have noticed that many of my friends seem to have had difficulties. Some have divorced, others job troubles or spouses with job troubles, health concerns, deaths and so forth. I have also noticed that many of these friends have become reclusive. Some have moved and haven't shared the fact that they have moved. Others has just dropped out of circulation. I myself have also had a difficult year, which you all know. I am one that likes to talk with friends and family, share the troubles on my mind, it's a way for me to think through the process - to hear myself talk, to hear someone else opinion and sometimes it's just nice to release it and talk about something else entirely different afterwards. So today after finding out that yet another friend who I though was avoiding me has been having difficulties dealing with her life, she eventually told me she was just cocooning and not doing anything outside of the necessary life stuff. This all prompted me to start and informal survey on FB, whether you cocoon or reach out to other's when life gets hard. I was amazed, absolutely amazed to read that almost 95% of my friends responding all cocooned. Have we become a society of insular people, I don't know if we don't trust others to share our troubles or just that we can't be bothered. Maybe that is not entirely worded right. I know from reading and having gone through various kinds of counseling that talking to others is helpful for our mental health. I wonder if keeping things in, just not coping with society can be helpful. When I did cocoon and not talk with others, I found I went into a deeper depression, but maybe I am just the exception.

Now having learned this I wonder how the mental health of our society, of our communities is. If we can't share our troubles with others, how are we to help one another out? These are all things I will now ponder. Note, I am not just thinking of myself. I was just talking with Dave tonight and he too has noticed this.