Cave syndrome: isolation as avoidant behavior

There are those who point out that cave syndrome is a condition of our time. It describes those people who prefer the privacy of their home to the outside world and who do not feel able to return to their routines, their social interactions, or in-person work. However, this avoidance behavior has always been present, especially in people with anxiety disorders.

It is true that after a year of restrictive measures, there are those who still remain in the shelter of their home waiting for all this to pass definitively. However, a fact that psychology professionals around the world are seeing The thing is that there are those who completely resist taking the reins of their life beyond the boundaries of their home.

We insist, this phenomenon is not new. And while it is true that cave syndrome does not describe a clinical condition that appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), It does outline a reality that is frequently appreciated. The difficulty of resuming our lives after an adverse event is a fact that has always defined human beings.

Cave syndrome is synonymous with suffering. The person is aware that he must resume his social life, however, the mere idea of ​​crossing the threshold of home generates great anxiety.

Cave syndrome: definition and characteristics

Long before the current situation, the so-called hikikomori syndrome was already frequently seen. This Japanese term describes the tendency towards isolation on the part of many young people who choose at a given moment to abandon their social life and seclude themselves in their homes. It affects men more than women and, behind this phenomenon, there is usually social phobia, agoraphobia, shyness or even avoidant personality disorder.

Cave syndrome shares many of these characteristics, but it has one particularity. This phenomenon appears after a complex or traumatic event that has made the person decide that their home is the safest setting.

Therefore, although it is now seen more frequently due to the current context, it was previously also seen in people who have suffered workplace, sexual harassment, bullying, etc. Let’s see more features.

Definition and delimitation

Cave syndrome defines a behavior in which a person feels safer in their home and experiences great difficulty taking control of their social life.

In this case, and unlike hikikomori syndrome or cabin syndrome, They would like to be able to leave the house and go back to work, to spend time outside with friends and family.. However, they feel inadequate.

What symptoms does it present?

The main characteristic that defines cave syndrome is suffering and anguish. These people are aware that they must cross the threshold of their home and take responsibility for their obligations. However, they feel unable to achieve it. Likewise, it is common for the following dimensions to appear:

High anxiety when they have to complete a task outside the home: going to the doctor, completing administrative procedures, attending important appointments, visiting other family members… It is common for people to already feel anxious and worried the days before.Cave syndrome appears in both introverts and extroverts. Some point out that this phenomenon is very similar to Stockholm syndrome; Suddenly, they feel an excessive attachment and closeness to their own jailer (in this case the home).This anxiety about leaving home develops after an adverse experience. Although at this moment the trigger is the current situation, this syndrome also appears in people who have been on sick leave after depression, due to an experience of workplace, sexual, bullying, etc. Home becomes a safe place, and although they know that they must leave at some point, this makes them uncomfortable.

This chronic avoidance of activities that take place beyond the person’s safe environment also generates physiological symptoms such as dizziness, numbness, tachycardia…

What are the causes of cave syndrome?

Cave syndrome is directly related to social anxiety disorder. In fact, a large part of the people who show this avoidant behavior already suffered from this psychological condition previously. Likewise, it is important to highlight that these phenomena have increased considerably in recent years. And, especially, in the younger population.

Research work such as those carried out at Dalhousie University (Canada) indicates something to reflect on. Social anxiety disorders affect or have affected about 36% of the world’s population, at ages between 16 and 29 years old.

Avoiding social situations and choosing to stay in the safety of one’s home (especially now that we have new technologies for leisure and work) is a fact that appears very frequently. Therefore, The current context has only aggravated an already pre-existing reality. and to which we should reorient our attention to prevent and treat these situations.

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