Western hikikomori
It is difficult for Westerner to understand the life of a hikikomori. In the West there can be hikikomoris, but at its lowest level.
There are young people who believe that being a hikikomori is easy and even think that it is cool.
The difference between our cultures makes it difficult to understand this disease, even if you know a lot about the Japanese culture or have seen the anime: “Welcome to the NHK.” On the other hand, the pressure that children have in Japan, China or Korea is not the same as experienced in western countries.
A hikikomori is a disease; suddenly they cannot handle the stress anymore and suffer a shock. Their mind is blocked and they don’t want to go outside. Usually they wouldn’t even admit being a hikikomori.
This suggests that a westerner who is familiar with the Japanese culture might come to think this way. For example: he/she experiences a lot of pressure and decides to become a hikikomori, just because it seems easy.
He/she believes that he/she won’t have to deal with any problems, without fully understanding that this disease is not a choice. Some people do not consider being a hikikomori as a sickness, but as a psychological problem associated to the stress that they suffer.
A hikikomori is not a kid who doesn’t want to leave his/her room for a few days because he/she is angry. The real problem arises when they spend enough time locked up and become afraid to go outside. Most people who lose contact with others for a long time lose their social skills.
This can have negative consequences for years.
There are cases where someone has lived without any social relationship for months or years enter society again and experience a lot of problems. One of those problems is that a panic attack is caused with unpredictable consequences, making the hikikomori a liability or danger for him/herself or others.
When I was looking for information about hikikomori, I found the anime “Welcome to the NHK” which is about the life of a hikikomori. The weird thing is that some people who have seen the anime say that they would like to become a hikikomori.
I do not know how other families would react, but I know that my family would slap me a few times and I would never dare to think such a thing again!
We are not westerners or easterners. Rather, we are all people who live in different environments and experiences. Our perceptions based on our beliefs determines a lot of things for an individual.
I live in America. And for most of my childhood, I was shut in from the world because of my perception of the world. Although, when I hit my 20s, I was out and about for quite some times. But for the last decade, I have been shut in again because society has become too much for me to bear. I have a wife and three kids and any time they go somewhere, I stay home. It is the norm. I am like an animal in a cage. You don’t have to be Japanese to live “hikikomori”. Call it what you want. It’s called being a recluse for whatever reason. Nothing “cool” about it. It sucks to be alone.
hey jjm
i totally agree witj you about the lonliness sucking part
i live in israel and getting me to atually met other people seems like atiering mission i have not grown acustommed to..
that leaves me quite tired in generall
i spent time and spend time with different therapists to
try and solve this matter
even now whle im about to take a hsort weekend trip with family members
who would love to see me and just spend time with me]i find myself dreding the near future..
i have not dared yet to understand thah i need a woman or at least the continuing company of others so reading that you have a wife and three kids makes me feel a bit smaller than you..it seems like there is agreat distance between our levels of courage if you can call it that..
to understand i have a right to be here and want things
and think and feel and what ever is involved in living..living
is something i delay ..maby it is the only way for me to exclude myself from the croud,maby an obselete way to get noticed,
maby a legecy..its exhausting
i wish us both and all a lighter way to live;one that would refresh..
be well,take care
In other countires its just called “complex postraumatic disorder” or a “maniac depression” if we live like that here and got mental diseases.
And no, its a really bad suffering, because you are really lonely, you are scared of a lot and the people, your mind is about to go crazy (just not to say that I actually went crazy) and without help its almost impossible to come out there.