What’s the difference between feeling alone and loneliness? Alone is a physical sense of nobody being around. Loneliness is a much deeper, emotional feeling that stems from lack of connections to others. It’s important to determine the difference because one could feel lonely even in a crowded room. Loneliness could also result in negative emotions such as depression and anxiety, which could lead to self-medicating through substances, gambling, sex, shopping, and other things, which could also cause other mental, physical, social, and emotional issues.
How to cope with loneliness:
- Practice self-kindness
- Make personal, in-person connections with others
- Shift focus on what you could give others
- Stop negative thought cycle
- Create a vision board of goals
- Use your time more wisely by volunteering
Mental Health Counseling and Loneliness
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) uses many interventions to help treat loneliness by:
- Improving self-awareness
- Developing resilience and coping skills
- Increasing emotional support
- Help change maladaptive thinking
When to seek help
It’s time to seek therapy when your emotions have ‘taken over’ your work and social lives, when you are using substances and other negative things to cope, and/or your emotions are preventing you from doing the things you need/want to get done. Reaching out for therapy is not a sign of weakness, but of strength, because you are showing yourself that you want to improve your quality of life.
