Have you ever lived as a shut-in?

[Locut0s]

I'm in a rather unusual position here. I have never been in a position where I HAD to live life or starve, or be on the street. For most people it's not a choice to work or not to, if you want food in your mouth or want to stay off the street you work!

My parents have long been huge enablers. We are by no means wealthy but we have always been financially stable enough to allow for such a situation to develop. When I would have my periodic mental breakdowns, 4 or 5 or more of them now, they would always allow me to live at home no questions asked like a parasite. I would do nothing but eat and sleep, and browse the web for months on end. I was lucky if I were to get out for long enough to even walk around the block. They never forced me to get a job, or socialize, or asked me to pay rent or even carry my own weight around the house. I say they never forced me, but they definitely did "nudge" me. Which isn't to use them as an excuse for where I am, despite of all this I always knew the steps I needed to take and the things I "should" have been doing. I just never took the steps required out of fear, depression, and the good old "better the devil you know". Now at 31 I find myself STILL in this same situation like a 12 year old. I HAVE made some steps in recent months that I have not made in the past, like opening up to my psych. In more resent weeks I've submitted a number of resumes online despite every fiber in my being resisting it, I know in the past I would not have submitted them in this state. I've also been looking into doing volunteer work soon, probably in Jan if I don't hear from employers. So I suppose there is some potential light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Then again I've been back to square one so many times it's hard to tell what is light and what may be a "light echo" from the past.

I figure now that over the years I've spent 2 years or more living as a shut-in like this. They have been spread out over the past decade or more, usually in periods lasting 2-6 months after a breakdown.

I've always felt like a complete freak and loser living like this. To my surprise in resent years I've learned through other online communities that there actually are others out there in my situation and, surprisingly, some worse off. I've talked to some in their mid 30s who haven't left their house in years. This isn't something to aspire to whatsoever and I don't bring it up for that reason, but it was somewhat comforting to find others out there.

Has anyone here had any experience with living as a shut-in. Perhaps not with your parents, perhaps on your own? Those with agoraphobia often go through periods where they can't leave their house.