Hehe I do go for the alienation and dehumanization angle too. And how isolation especially can have such dire effects on the psyche. In the context of my own work, I think portraying the depths of misery that can come from being isolated by the scars of trauma just makes it feel way more special and important that the characters end up finding solace in each other’s company. I started writing to try to give myself hope in dark times, so I specifically wanted to show characters that have gone through (or even still go through) some pretty horrible stuff still managing to find their own happiness.
(edited to fix typo)