By nature, all humans need to feel connected to others. So feeling disconnected can be extremely painful.
Although it’s normal to feel lonely from time to time, some people feel chronically disconnected, rejected, or unable to fit in.
If you feel persistently lonely and isolated, it can be overwhelming to think of ways to make friends, and this has become even worse in a time of forced disconnection due to Covid-19. But you are not powerless to change this situation.
In therapy, we’ll explore ways for you to better connect or reconnect with others and help you find more meaningful connections with people, so you can develop emotionally intimate relationships with people who share your interests and values. We’ll look at what feeling connected means to you and what’s getting in the way of finding it.
Together, we’ll find ways for you to foster skills to develop the friendships and other relationships you’re looking for, whether that means improving your self-esteem, learning practical skills for meeting people (even virtually in the age of coronavirus), or troubleshooting interactions that didn’t go as well as you would have liked. Although you may feel you’re the only one, you’re not alone. There are millions of lonely people in the world and therapy can help you start connecting.
Helpful Resources
The Lethality of Loneliness: John Cacioppo at TEDxDesMoines
Lonely: A Memoir (Emily White)
Researchers Confront an Epidemic of Loneliness (New York Times)
To Combat Loneliness, Promote Social Health (Scientific American)
What Happens In Your Body When You’re Lonely (Cleveland Clinic)
What It’s Like to Have Chronic Loneliness (Vice)
You’re Not Alone: Dealing with the Epidemic of Chronic Loneliness (Science Focus)