The word "hikikomori" means "to isolate" or to "withdraw," and it was first introduced in 1998 by the Japanese psychiatrist, Tamaki Saito in his book "Social Isolation: An Endless Adolescence." It explained this rare disorder originating in Japan in which young people completely withdraw from society and remain in their own homes for more than six months..
It is estimated that between 700,000 and 2,000,000 Japanese may currently be suffering from hikikomori.
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Most psychologists believe that one of the root causes of hikikomori is the Japanese idea of "sekentei", which basically refers to your reputation within the community and the pressure you feel to impress others. This aspect is of great importance in the social construction of Japanese society..
A typical case of hikikomori would be that of a young person, almost always a man, who after suffering some kind of strong social pressure, completely blocks himself and isolates himself from society. They can spend months or even years locked in their rooms. In many cases, the mother will have to bring the food to her door, as she will not even join the family to eat. The typical stereotype is that you spend most of your time browsing the Internet, playing games, or reading comics..
However, this is not the only real factor in hikikomori. There are more possible causes. It can also be individuals with more or less serious mental illnesses such as Asperger's Syndrome, depression, schizophrenia, OCD or social phobia, among others..
Another underlying cause of hikikomori syndrome is the idea of constantly wanting to be cared for by someone. It is as if they develop a strange form of infantilism. They do not clean and have no desire to achieve independence. Also, they often get very aggressive if they can't find food to their liking when they expect it. They act like a basically like a little boy.
It is true that up to 80% of people with hikikomori are men, many come from middle class homes that are able to “support” them as they barricade themselves in their rooms, avoiding their friends and family.
We must bear in mind that in the traditional Japanese family structure, children live with their parents until they graduate from university, find a job, or get married. Nor is it strange that several family generations live together; parents, children and grandchildren. There is usually not much pressure on teens to leave home and become independent. This is based on the idea that children who live with their parents will contribute to the family until they have their own structured lives. Unfortunately, more and more Japanese teenagers are choosing to stay home and do nothing. Parents, who are often overly complacent, do not know how to stop the progression of this antisocial behavior, making it easier for it to become a chronic problem.
This problem is compounded by the fact that having a child with Hikikomori is considered embarrassing, so parents may choose to allow antisocial behavior rather than intervene or seek outside help..
This imposed isolation has been explained by some sociologists as a direct reaction to increasing globalization and Japan's integration into a westernized labor market..
Traditionally, Japanese institutions have favored a highly structured transition of young people from school to university, with subsequent long-term employment almost assured. Once a Japanese individual got a job, it was relatively certain that it was impossible for him to be fired..
Unfortunately, companies' emphasis on long-term worker loyalty has had disastrous consequences for youth employment in the current economic crisis where there is not as much job creation. Since older members of companies often hold their jobs for many years, while young people trying to enter the job market are often sidelined. Many of these unemployed young people who graduated from university, carry the feeling of double failure after following the "right path" and encountering the social stigma of failing to achieve their goals..
Lack of social contact and prolonged loneliness has a profound effect on the mentality of those affected by hikikomori, who gradually lose their social skills, social references and customs necessary to interact with the outside world..
They can immerse themselves in the fantasy worlds of manga, television or the Internet, which in turn become their only frame of reference. Due to the lack of interpersonal stimulation, there is a stagnation in the development of behaviors as time passes, they can sleep all day and stay up all night only to sneak into the kitchen to get food when the family is asleep . In extreme cases, hikikomori eventually abandon books and television and simply stare into space for hours..
On a physical level, they present loss of muscle mass due to inactivity, sores from sitting or lying down for too many hours, joint weakness and different types of malnutrition.
Most hikikomori sufferers live with their parents, who bring them food and provide them with other basic elements. However, in some cases they may go shopping for groceries at convenience stores rather than relying on their parents' cooking. Others can make purchases online to minimize their trips abroad.
In the best of cases, after a few days of reflection, the young man leaves the room and returns to normal life. But in the most severe cases, this return to society can take months or even years. There are extreme cases that cannot be solved, such as that of a man who locked himself up at the age of 20 and still lives in isolation with today in his 50s..
There are different opinions on the treatment of a hikikomori, many Japanese experts suggest waiting until the young man reappears, while Western doctors suggest returning the subject back to society..
Despite this diversity of opinion, there appear to be two general fields for treatment:
The psychological approach suggests that both isolated youth and their families need psychological help, as many parents are overwhelmed by the problems of a child with hikikomori that they do not understand. The standard psychological approach is usually carried out through cognitive-behavioral therapy with psychopharmacological support in some cases if necessary.
Another type of more social approach treats hikikomori as a socialization problem rather than a mental illness. Therefore, instead of performing a clinical treatment in a center or hospital, the affected person is removed from the room environment and reincorporated to an environment of shared life, encouraging them to reintegrate into social groups through daily activities with another hikikomori who is already in a state of recovery; this approach shows the person that they are not alone in their condition and appears to be successful in most cases.
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