Loneliness involves the perception of being alone and isolated, as well as a feeling of emptiness and disconnection from those around us. Thus, it is associated with the quality of interpersonal relationships we have and their ability to make us feel emotionally and socially connected.
If you want to explore more about what is meant by loneliness, go to our previous article Loneliness.
Most, if not all people, have felt loneliness at some stage of their lives, as this is a universal experience. However, each person feels in a unique and different way. Thus, the treatment can vary depending on how it originated and how it manifests in each person.
However, the intervention will always involve the establishment of close affective relationships. Here are some suggestions that can help you deal with these feelings of loneliness:
It is important to know your loneliness, to understand in which contexts and situations it appears more intensely and in which it disappears;
Try to analyze what are the causes of loneliness, think about the moment in life you are in and how long these feelings have arisen;
Loneliness interferes in the way we see ourselves and the way we see the relationships we establish; it is important not to let ourselves fall into the traps of this state of mind;
Remember that it is not your loneliness. It is much more than what you may be feeling right now; be kind to yourself;
Keep in touch with other people, with your friends or try to participate in activities or groups of people with similar interests to yours; this is an important step to deal with these feelings – establishing close relationships with others – and sometimes difficult to do as we may feel motivated to isolate ourselves even more (but it is essential to counteract this tendency, otherwise we will just feel more and more alone);
Be concerned about other people, be empathetic and try to understand their suffering and their joys – you will feel closer and welcomed. You can try volunteer work, for example;
Do not hesitate to seek psychological help, this may be the ideal way to deal with feelings of loneliness, associated with distorted thoughts and attitudes that can keep you in that state; thus, a psychologist can help you improve your well-being when you do not understand the cause of your loneliness, or when there are prolonged moments of sadness, isolation and lack of motivation. Specifically, Group Therapy can be a useful approach to dealing with loneliness by bringing people with similar experiences and symptoms together.
Remember that the essential thing to deal with loneliness is the establishment of relationships of proximity and sharing – what is important is the quality of relationships more than the quantity of relationships.