Why Are Some Men In Japan Not Leaving Their Rooms For Decades?




There is absolutely nothing that made me feel like I was going crazy than staying at home all day, not going outside, watching TV or playing video games, and not socializing or talking to any friends. I’m glad to have left my childhood home and now be in a continual state of trying to advance and improve myself, not just because of ambition, but for my own mental and emotional well-being.

However, I see reasons why people withdraw from the world and from social circles. It’s the default coping mechanism for when life is hard for so many of us. There were days in my darkest moments I didn’t want to talk to anyone and just wanted to stay in my room all day.

I’d felt hurt, wounded, and betrayed over and over and I didn’t want to deal with that pain or the possibility of that pain again. I didn’t want to expose myself to the risk. It was only after I felt worse from social withdrawal that I realized being around people wasn’t just something that was optional for me — it was mandatory for my sanity.