Loneliness

Feeling like you've got nobody to rely on

Sometimes feeling alone isn't about being surrounded by people or not. It's about feeling like there's nobody you can really rely on.

We can find ourselves carrying everything on our own. Making every decision on our own. Holding all of the responsibility for our lives, because it doesn't feel like there's anyone else to lean on.

Over time, we get used to relying on ourselves. We stop asking for help because it doesn't feel like anyone will be there when we need them. And yet, underneath that independence, there can be a longing for something different. To have people we can trust. People we can rely on. People who make us feel important, wanted and cared about.

Sometimes our relationships can feel one-sided. We keep reaching out. We initiate. We make the effort to stay in touch. We try to be consistent. But people are busy. We're an afterthought. It doesn't feel like we're a priority in the way they are to us.

Over time, it can leave us feeling like nobody really gets us. Nobody is truly there for us. And at its deepest, feeling alone can become this quiet sense that, at the end of the day, we're on our own.

Feeling unseen, even when you're around other people

Sometimes we can be surrounded by people and still feel feel alone.

We spend so much time trying to fit in. Wondering what other people think of us. Trying to be who we think we're supposed to be, so that we're accepted, liked or included. We hold parts of ourselves back. We say yes when we want to say no. We laugh along. We keep the peace. Over time, it can become difficult to know who we really are, or whether anyone would accept us if we showed them.

We might have friends. We might have family. We might spend time with other people every day. But if we don't feel understood, accepted or able to be ourselves, we can still feel incredibly alone.

Sometimes what we're longing for isn't more people. It's the feeling of being known. Of being accepted for who we are, rather than who we think we're supposed to be.

Social Isolation

Sometimes loneliness isn't just about how connected we feel to the people around us. Sometimes there simply aren't many people around.

Life changes, relationships end, friends move away, or we find ourselves gradually becoming more isolated than we ever expected. Days can start to feel repetitive, and it can become harder to imagine how things could be different. Over time, loneliness can begin to affect how we see ourselves and whether we feel we belong anywhere

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