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Starting from the issues of voluntary confinement at home, which we associate with the Hikikomori disorder in adults or severe school phobias in adolescents, this article questions the articulation of the relationship between time and space in the human psyche. The construction of these notions in ontogenesis enlightens us on the defensive mechanisms at play when time and space freeze for a subject. From this tight knot, we deduce some principles for handling reclusive behaviors.