Risks of Hikikomori lifestyle?

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I've heard that there are long term risks to even a short-term hikikomori state. Within a certain age range, there is a growing number of hikikomori in Japan because of the pressure of living in a hard working, shame society.
I expect the risks include impaired mental health, motivation and interaction skills, etc from an unusual amount of isolation and avoidance.
Would you expect the risks to be the same for someone with ASD?
Someone with ASD could be well experienced with bouts of isolation and intense focus on interests but rather than become unwell from this, could this be an environment an autistic brain can thrive in?

Would you be willing to explain "Hikkomori"? Is that the adult loner (who might still be living with their parents)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori

Many live alone, like me. The isolation tends to be more extreme.

Thanks.

Living like this for over 5 years, I can confirm that it the risks are just like that. I just justified myself that I dont need people, that my brain will thrive in isloation.. but guess what, you cant live with them, but you cant live without them either. apparently people are one of the basic needs, whats worse is that its hard for us to understand it.

The fact that it has a Japanese name now means that it's so much cooler!
And doubtlessly more spiritually enlightening, physically healthy, and philosophically broadening.

That's awesome!
No longer must we cower in damp basements, nesting in empty moldering convenience food wrappers, crushed by the terror of the opposite gender!

Because, we are. . . the Hikikomori !
(fear our aluminum swords! )

That's basically where I've been myself lately. Although I'm well respected among nearly all my friends, that doesn't make them comfortable around me any more than I am with them.

For the longest time I've lived a near-hikikimori life style. I have no friends and rarely go out, just to the pharmacy and food stores. Lately I've been going to AA/NA meetings so, by default, I'm meeting people. I don't really know what to say to them, but that's a different story.

Give something a Japanese name and suddenly it's "cool", like Otaku geeks or Manga comics or Anime... no wait, Anime is French or Latin for ANIMATION, I.E. CARTOONS.

You can live without them, argument won. Given that you are a survival expert on a secluded island.



You better speak for yourself. You don't need people. You need food, shelter, medicine, income, some special interest(s) you can put your mind into, ach, and maybe some information provided by some strangers over the internet.

Mental it is more or less the same but I do exercise because I am into cycling and bicycle technique and improvements and maintainance of my pushbike is important.

That sounds like you are a fat couch potato, even though there are home trainer and aerobic DVDs.

Last edited by MOWHAWK1982 on 03 May 2014, 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWvmcspq0KI[/youtube]

You do need people, you can't get food, shelter, medicine, income without other people.
Solitarity (whatever) is damaging even to cats.

A pretty realistic example. The lack of personal contact is not the problem. The interaction with strangers is miniscule in my case but hygiene, health, etc. would be a problem. I run errands, do grocery shopping, order parts over the net and eat at diners, be a MGHOW who doesn't put up with a womanchild.

No, it is not, argument won - that's just stating something. You don't need people, you need their services, that was my point.

Extreme risks result from prolonged isolation but it depends on the personality. Social interaction is a tool to achieve an objective nothing more some are not adapted to this tool and thus receive no benefit from it. On the other hand the majority are adapted to it and social interaction plays an important role in their emotional regulation, happiness, mental cohesion, base functioning, etc. So yes the risks are the same for ASD or NT as the variability is personality design. I would advise great caution of the risks for some personalities it will lead to death. Extreme isolation has led many people to generalized insanity and suicide although the isolation was generally forced upon them and not by choice. When you actually choose the lifestyle it is much more manageable in terms of survival but there tend to still be ‘complications’.

It certainly ‘can’ be an environment an ASD would thrive in but there is no guarantee it ‘will’ be everyone is different after all.

It's not just the psychological risks; it's the logistical problems.

Anyone who stays alone at home most of the time will have a hard time getting work. Working from home is cool, but not everybody can get it. Also, they'll need someone to do the errands that would normally take them out of the house. They miss out on opportunities--schools (other than online), as well as things like going to a museum, going hiking, or going to a wedding or a funeral.

It's pretty much the same problem faced by people with severe agoraphobia, except it's a different cause.

I can see why someone would want to withdraw from society. I am an extreme introvert and I will happily spend four to six weeks without ever talking to another living person. However, I know how important it is to keep connections to the outside world--to keep up my ability to get outside, to go to other places, to do new things. Solitude is fine; for many of us, it's necessary. We just have to keep enough connections so that when we need or want to step over the threshold, we can.

I don't understand that bold part.
I also apparently don't understand what you mean by "need people."
If you piss people off you wont get their goods or services, and people are stunningly easy to piss-off and they'll cut you off in a heart-beat.
In fact when interacting with people even a little bit they have a tough time not pushing you into either the "friend or enemy" category. Meaning it's very difficult to walk the fine line of a neutral balance, especially w/out the social skills that are also necessary to maintain a "friendly" enough relationship to maintain a business relationship.

I don't need to french kiss my grocer or plumber but I do need a friendly relationship to increase the likelihood (motivation) of getting quality product or work.
NTs are not robots and do not, by default, output professional level effort. And it's well known that money alone cannot necessarily ensure this either.
And I can't think of anybody who has ever said that bosses are always logical and would never make big decisions based only on emotion.
They'd never fire an excellent worker that "insulted" them often, nor promote a brown-noser, right?
Being fired is likely to affect one's income.