Loneliness And Mental Health

Living with mental illness can be a very lonely experience, mental illness can isolate us in so many ways. Stigma and self-stigma can isolate us as can the illness itself as sometimes we can prefer to be alone because we either don't want to bother someone or the want to socialise just isn't there. I have isolated myself many a time and have been socially isolated too.

When I talk about loneliness it doesn't necessarily mean being on your own as some people can live happy and fulfilling lives without much socialisation, however many people will find this a very lonely experience. You can also be in a crowded room with friends or loved ones and still feel lonely.

So what do I mean by feeling lonely? Loneliness is a subjective experience of isolation, it is a mentally painful experience where you do not feel connected to the people around you and your basic needs are not being met. You may feel unloved, not worthwhile, even if others don’t share these views. You may feel disconnected or alienated from your surroundings. If you are lonely you feel the need for warmth, understanding and empathy. You may long for someone who you can share your feelings and thoughts with.

Persistent loneliness can have an effect on both our physical and mental health. Therefore it is important that we know how to help ourselves when feeling like this.

Many years ago when I was first diagnosed before I stepped into recovery I felt terribly lonely, I also feel like this when I relapse. Along the way I have learnt how to overcome these feelings. Below I have documented some of the things that has helped me to overcome these feelings and hope that they might help you too.

Reach out: Reaching out I think is the most important and hardest thing you can do. Reaching out may mean talking to your doctor or mental health team to find the right treatment plan for you. It can also mean reaching out to friends and loved ones. Some people may not have friends or family they can turn to this is where support groups are beneficial if you have someone to connect with or not. Finding a local support group or online group can help to know you are not alone in how you are feeling.

Notice the way you talk to yourself: If we are filled with self-deflated thoughts such as no one will like me, or something is wrong with me, no one will want to talk to me etc it will effect our confidence and fuel depressive feelings and loneliness. Instead try reminding yourself of the positive qualities you have whether that might be you are empathetic, kind and worthy of kindness because believe me you are.

Looking back at good memories: These memories may be in the form of photo's, videos or memories you have remembered, this will make you realise that there have been good times and there will be good times again.

Write down and share your feelings: Writing down our feelings can really help to offload how we feel. Some people find it hard to talk to others about what they are experiencing, while others have a hard time understanding how we feel. Writing it down and reading it or getting someone else to read it can be a very powerful way to connect to someone.

Helping others: You may want to get involved in a charity or simply be there for your friends and loved ones. The indirect benefit of this is that it will make you feel better about yourself. When you are focused on helping others, it can help you get out of your head and stop negative thoughts. It will put you in direct contact with other people and you will feel you belong to something.

Always remember you are not alone, there are many people who feel like this and there are ways in which you can overcome it.

Comments

Staying Balanced In My Emotionally Unbalanced World

If you struggle with balancing your emotions or indeed live with emotional dysregulation then you may find this post of some interest. Please note some people may find this post triggering. If you don’t feel in the mood to read you can just sit back, press play and watch the video instead. Many people who suffer from a mental health disorder can suffer from emotional dysregulation issues for many different reasons. It is said this symptom is not exclusive to Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder also known as Borderline Personality Disorder, many people who live with mental illness can suffer from this. This post covers what emotional dysregulation is, my experiences and how I cope with it. Please remember that we are all different and unique, some people may relate and other’s may not, so please do not use my post as a diagnostic tool. What is Emotional Dysregulation? Emotional Dysregulation refers to a person who finds it difficult to control or regulate their emotions to int...

Bipolar Type 2 Vs BPD / EUPD

It is easy to confuse Bipolar Disorder 2 with Borderline Personality Disorder -BPD (often known as Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder) as they are very similar. Differentiating between the two can be difficult even psychiatrists can find this tricky. However although they are very similar they are also very different too, and have different treatments. Bipolar 2 disorder is characterised by extreme mood swings. These can range from highs (hypomania) to extreme lows (depression). Episodes of hypomania and depression often last for several weeks or months. Hypomania: Elevated mood, decreased need for sleep (feels rested after only a couple of hours sleep), inflated self-esteem, racing thoughts, impulsivity, more talkative than normal or pressure to keep talking, distractibility. Depression: Fatigue, sleeping to much or to little, loss of interest, hopeless outlook, changes in appetite (eating too much or not enough), suicidal ideation and...

Q & A

Five most common questions answered. If you don't feel in the mood to read you can just sit back, press play and watch the video instead. Lets talk about everything mental health related by getting back to basics. What is mental health? Some people call mental health emotional health or wellbeing. Mental health is a level of psychological wellbeing which can vary over the years, and with the ups and down's of life. We all need to look after our mental health as it is just important to our wellbeing as our physical health is. Poor mental health can effect anyone. WHO (World Health Organisation) says: "mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community, it is not just the absence of mental disorder". What is mental health illness? People who have a mental health illness can exp...

Situational Depression Vs Clinical Depression

Depression is becoming more and more understood due to many factors such as the rise of people being affected by it or by knowing loved ones, family and friends who have had to battle with these symptoms, campaigns challenging the stigma and people openly talking about their illness. When hearing the word depression many people associate it with a clinical diagnosis such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder etc. Depression does not only affect people who have a clinical diagnosis. Situational depression can affect people who do not live with a clinical mental health illness too. Dr. Gronley Say's; Typically major stressors in life will bring on situational depression such as a divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job, the economy or any factors that will negatively affect your life. Situational depression is always accompanied by traumatic events or stressful situations and will typically be short lived or continue with the presence of these events. SD can be...

Cassie Talks - Mental Health

Search This Blog