In her teens, she returned home to help her mother in the running of the boarding house. Gertrude had allowed a priest to stay, and this became a source of scandal that Houselander and her mother were ostracised by the community. This may have partly influenced her decision to leave the Catholic Church as a teenager, and may have contributed to a sense of isolation she would feel at times. This latter problem was reflected in panic attacks when entering rooms and meeting strangers, so much so that she was considered neurotic.