Does (or did) work increase your isolation?

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It has been said that working connects you with people. When working however, the opposite was the case...not only was I without friends on the job, but other disabled people that I could have potentially connected with were generally out of work

I worked for a long time, but now that I lost my job have found, ironically, that people approach me more, and generally they are other people with disabilities. This is not to say that all disabled people are out of work, just that people who would give me the time of day tend not to hold a traditional 9-5 job Coincidence, or is it true that work can increase isolation

I worked as an overnight stocker at a large retailer years ago. I had NOTHiNG in common with my coworkers. I was so alone I may as well had been the only stocker in the building. I may as well had been from the moon for all they knew. Boy, that job was sheer torture for those months I was there. I've had other jobs where I was able to connect to people though, so jobs themselves aren't isolating. The way the night managers pretended working there was the greatest thing to mankind! Ugghh!

I have had the experience where I play a role at work, or allow one facet of myself to come through. Let's put it that way. I have also overtried to connect with others at work (instead of simply allowing it to happen if it is going to happen).

The end result, I come home exhausted and need a lot of alone time to unwind and recoup, and less likely to go to events where I might have things in common with people.

I totally agree. All the jobs I've had so far have been such a drain on my energy I had nothing left for anything else. I'm unemployed right now (although studying full time) and loving it!