“Healing happens in connection” is a phrase repeated on nearly every podcast about concussion and Post-Concussion Syndrome. And I agree. Wholeheartedly. When you are navigating the isolation of a brain injury, loneliness is the enemy. We need connection to feel seen, understood, and supported because that validation is the medicine our body and brain need.

That is precisely why my soul desperately needs to spend time with my family during the school holidays. After six weeks of relentless life, I just want to surround myself with the people who love me, know my story, and accept me exactly as I am. In many ways, that is the only place where my body can finally sense true calm and safety.

But while I agree that we need connection, I’ve recently been thinking: what about the healing that happens in disconnection?

I mean…

“It’s just a question.” ¹

Question…?, Midnights

What if healing happens faster when we disconnect from the people who hold us back? What if our recovery actually requires us to step away from doctors and the clinical world, the sensory overload, and the exhausting expectations of returning to work?

What if the only way to truly repair ourselves is to tune out completely

“The voices that implore, “You should be doing more.?” ²

Sweet Nothing, Midnights

What if disconnection is not a symptom of depression – as clinicians so often suggest – but the ultimate act of self-preservation and the true catalyst for genuine healing? Because, as Taylor reminds us on evermore:

“Sometimes, walkin’ out is the one thing
That will find you the right thing.” ³

it’s time to go, evermore

The truth is, I have been actively choosing disconnection over connection since the start of 2026. It was a terrifying choice to make in a world that demands so much. In all honesty,

“I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t.” ⁴

I Forgot That You Existed, Lover

And instead, choosing to disconnect brought me to a place that is…

“(…) So nice,
So peaceful and quiet.” ⁵

I Forgot That You Existed, Lover

So, is constantly trying to force a connection actually stopping us from healing?

“It’s just a question.” ⁶

Question…?, Midnights

The Concussion Girl

1. Swift, Taylor. “Question…?”, Midnights. Taylor Swfit, 2022. ↩︎
2. Swift, Taylor. “Sweet Nothing”, Midnights. Taylor Swfit, 2022 ↩︎
3. Swift, Taylor. “it’s time to go”, evermore. Taylor Swfit, 2020 ↩︎
4. Swift, Taylor. “I Forgot You Existed”, Lover. Taylor Swfit, 2019 ↩︎
5. Swift, Taylor. “I Forgot You Existed”, Lover. Taylor Swfit, 2019 ↩︎
6. Swift, Taylor. “Question…?”, Midnights. Taylor Swfit, 2022 ↩︎