I don't have a great respect for reality or getting the 'facts' as a means of putting together a story.
I definitely shut down sometimes. I always just go into my own little cocoon and write, and I surround myself with as much music as possible. The last girlfriend I had, when we broke up, I remember being in a room for days on days on days with my music cranked up, playing songs like Kanye's '808's & Heartbreak. ' That playlist just was long!