Once I got diagnosed, I pretty much stopped having friends & doing everything. It was a complete life change for me. I went from being a regular drinker (alcohol) & social butterfly who went out all the time, to a completely non drinker homebody introvert. It was really difficult. Luckily, I have a partner who I live with plus my animals & I was able to get through it. After about a year of dealing w/ my illnesses & a lot of crying, I finally realized that this was my life now & I got used to the lifestyle change. Now, I love being an introvert & homebody. I’ve learned to focus more on myself & take care of me instead of other people. It’s also forced me to spend more time w/ family, my pets, & nature, which I’ve come to appreciate & love.

May not be the most “healthy” answer, but honestly, online video games keep me from going crazy as an isolated extrovert. Meeting people in virtual worlds isn’t a 1:1 substitute but I enjoy it!

I did the isolation and it made things worse for me. Now I wear a medic alert bracelet carry rescue meds and just make sure I eat what I know is safe. I work in the medical field and my coworkers know to be careful. It has added quality to my life!