I feel like isolating myself, but deep inside I am very lonely. What do I do?

Try to identify why you want to isolate yourself when you feel lonely, do you simply wish to find a good quality friend or are you afraid about what friendship or other includes. It can be a fine line at times however it's important to identify what you wish to isolate yourself before you end up unable to immerse yourself with people again.

Being alone and being lonely are two different things. While it is completely alright to spend time with yourself, it is not okay if this is not what you want. Figure out why you're isolating yourself and if anything you're afraid of. Then try to face your fear, talk to someone if needed. May be start with a listener or a therapist who can guide you through the next steps.

Isolation is very tempting sometimes, because we feel like we need to be away from people. But, it’s this time where it is best to seek out friends and family to talk about what you are feeling. Loneliness is a terrible thing, but it can be very easily cured. Just as you love people, you are loved in return. You are never alone in this world, even though you may feel like it. Think about times where you feel lonely. Does any kind of situation or person trigger the feeling? If you feel lonely chronically, you might be struggling with depression. Seek out a professional therapist, or find depression threads on 7cups.

Talking to someone you trust about how you are feeling will be a very good step to start at. This could be a family member or a close friend or even a teacher at school. Try to join in on events such as family, parties or even days out. Allow time for yourself, this will be a good time to write down what you are feeling and a way to calm your mind, if needed after you have written things down go and talk to the trusted person about it, they may be able to talk to someone else about it (with your consent) and come up with a weekly plan on when you wish to have time to talk, time for yourself and time to join in.

Loneliness is a strange beast: it devour us, but we develop a sort of codependency. The more we feel lonely, the more we do to keep on feeling lonely. It seems a nonsense, but it happens. Loneliness is feeded by isolation and isolation is feeded by loneliness. The best you can do about it is to plan some tasks everyday for two weeks. The tasks shouldn't be overwhelming, otherwise you'll feel completely drained. A task could be "ask two people how their day is going" or "get in touch with one friend and enjoy a coffee together". There are minor patterns you have to break: isolation tends to embrace procrastination. Setting little tasks is going to be challenging enough without becoming frustrating. Odds are, as the time comes, you'll feel anxiety rising up. There are only two rules. Rule number 1: stick to the plan, unless it's not your fault. Don't make up excuses no to go out two hours before meeting your friend. Rule number 2: these tasks must be done in real life. Keep it simple and enjoy vulnerability. The world is missing you!

you feel like isolating yourself, but deep inside you’re lonely. tell me more about why you feel lonely and isolating yourself. is this feeling of loneliness recent or have you dealt with the feeling for awhile now? are there any specific reasons why you feel the need to isolate yourself from others? has any drastic event happened recently that would result to you feeling this way? have you tried reaching out to your family or friends about these feelings ? do you only feel lonely at times or are there specific times where you feel the empact of loneliness effect you more?

I think reflect on why you want to isolate yourself. Finding the why first can help you decide how you feel about the why. Some possible reasons include: 1) if you isolate yourself willingly, then it makes you feel like you have control and therefore give you a comfort in that you feel like you can also choose to not isolate yourself if you wanted to. 2) you are afraid of embarrassing yourself by attempting to be social and you’d rather play it safe by sticking alone. 3) You’ve had bad experiences in the past that sort of keep you from associating with people. There are more possible reasons, but these are just a few to get you started. I’ve had a similar situation, I know the confusion of loneliness. I hope you find clarity in your situation, or just find yourself in a better place in general soon!

What it seems obvious that you need to have something new in your life, something that changes the daily routine you're living every single day. To do that; you need to do something new that will make you feel like new and not lonely. Like for example you can : 1) Participate into a new activity. specially the one that involves people or a group work like painting, cooking, music....etc. 2) Workout and start hitting the gym or aerobics classes. 3) Volunteer for a charity work near you. Not only you'll help others, but also you'll have the opportunity to meet new people and to feel good about yourself.

You should try easing yourself into a positive friend group. They can care for you and make you feel loved. Another hard but important thing is to not push away your loved ones. They try to care for you and they will help you through this period of time that you are feeling. If you really don't feel like interaction, reading an exciting novel will loosen your heart and make you happy. You can also watch a film or do something that you enjoy. Take up a new hobby or write a short story. Remember, there are people out there who genuinely want to help you.

I feel like this sometimes, too. You want to be alone, but you don't want to be alone. Like there is no solution to this problem. Some ways you can start getting involved are: Online book clubs, such as some on Goodreads. Join a club at school, or the bare minimum, creating a group chat on your phone with a few close friends. You can set up accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc., and make it about your fandom fanpage. And trust me, you can meet amazing people. If you are at School/Work, then make an effort to talk to at least one person a day. Ask your friends if they are doing anything this weekend. Sometimes, I feel this way when my family ties are loose. Try to patch those up if those bonds are that way. Love you and love yourself

If you're lonely, you can always talk to someone you trust about this issue. I understand how it feels to be lonely but at the same time, trying to isolate yourself. I did have this issue as well. But I talked it out to a friend I trusted, and then I feel much more better. When you feel that no one cares, you have to remember this, people DO care. There will always be people who love you, sincerely. Approach people when you need someone to talk to, because it's nothing to be ashamed of! Good luck, remember to smile today! ;)

]It really varies from person to person and thus better to discuss with someone who knows you a little better. That being said here are some suggestions that have helped many people. Firstly, many times just talking about it with someone can help. Here at 7 Cups of tea there are many active listeners to whom you can chat and share your feelings with them. Sometimes it's all you need. Another suggestion is to think about and ask yourself the following questions: 1. Why do I feel like isolating yourself? 2. What will I gain from isolating myself? 3. What can I do to change the way I feel? Sometimes discussing such thoughts with a friend or an active listener can help you even better. Another suggestion is find a social-cirlce with good friends. Many times being part of a healthy social circle or simply having good friends that you feel comfortable with can help quite a bit. But it can be hard to become comfortable with your social-circle or friends, especially when you don't have yet a good enough connection with them. Another suggestion, which is very recommended and has helped many people overcome loneliness, is to look for ways to help and be kind to others. This will help you in multiple ways. Firstly, when you think of helping or being kind to others you don't think so much about yourself and it is thus easier to overcome feelings of isolating yourself. Of course now you are also feeling much less lonely because you are with other people. Alas, by helping others and doing acts of kindness you are making the world a better place and perhaps you have also helped others feel less lonely along the way. In conclusion though, as mentioned at the beginning, it is best to discuss this subject with someone who knows you on a personal level and has enough experience to give you the right advice and guidance.

I’m currently going through something similar. At first I didn’t really have a way to cope or so I thought, and then I started writing it out. Why I feel lonely and all of the frustrations just came pouring out and helped me realize that I am lonely but that is what the unavoidable circumstances that I’m living under brings and came to peace with it. It sounds easy to say ; like deal with it. But with the busy lifestyle I’m leading, classes, therapy, living alone, exam pressure. I’m glad I came to peace with it because if I were to go through this again I would know how to get through it. Then I wouldn’t struggle as much.

Find your closest friend, or someone you feel you can trust with anything. You don't even need to talk with them. Being in the presence of another human being can definitely bring something out of you. Maybe a gut feeling, maybe a little voice in your head. Maybe pressure to start conversation with another. If you don't feel up to it, take a break. Hide yourself in your personal secret land for a while. Set goals. Like, today I shall interact with my neighbour! One tiny step, baby steps really. As long as you move forward, you can do it in your own way. Worm, wiggle, crawl, walk, soar. Any progress is better than none. But do ask yourself, why am I feeling lonely? Lack of friends? Low self esteem? Had a day that put you down in the dumps? It's gonna be tough, but with the human spirit, I'm sure you'll get somewhere. Or maybe you're not built for it. Introverts exist. Why though? A little feeling that spreads like wildfire, or creeping up your spine, telling you not to make that step? It's okay, it's a natural thing, everyone feels it, maybe on a passing occasion. Pour out your emotions maybe. Write a short story, paint, draw, listen to your favourite music. Maybe stay in that bundle of your paradise a little longer. Do remember to come out though. Loneliness and human being don't really go well together. It gnaws away at your heart and instills doubt. Don't let it get to you.

As I see it, the real need is to get closer to Yourself, to the Person, to Inner, to your Being. And that's the best choice you can do, when you are confused, or when you don't know anymore what to do, or when you feel empty, or when you feel out of love, or when you feel alienated, or when you achieved goals and you don't remember no worthy goal, or when you feel depressed (lack of worthy goals), or when you find your self angry or sad. So, as you can see, lots of moments when it's best to go deep inside, to "hear" new goals, new purposes, new interesting goals, new wants. That's actually the only practical way, to fill up again with "love" as i call it. Trying external surrogates (like everyone tries) (food, sex, drugs, etc) will only worsen the situation and will create only more emptiness. So, dive in trust, dive in that silence, that "nothing". Space is way harder than objects, hence way more "real". Don't listen to the fear of loneliness, or whatever other fears. They are just tricks to keep you away from Inner, from Your true natural purposes.

This is a very common feeling when you're depressed, you begin to isolate yourself from friends and even family. If you find that you're feeling lonely as well it can be very confusing, I would suggest taking small steps to start connecting with others again. You could start by chatting online, to one of the listeners here at 7cups so that you're reaching out without having to be physically near anyone. Once you start to open up and feel better you could have short periods of time with others, for example sharing a cup of tea with a friend but having a time limit on it so that it doesn't feel overwhelming. Then build from there until you are at a place that's comfortable for you

This is most likely a sign of social anxiety. Social Anxiety can influence your interactions with people, as well as the way you feel about talking and spending time with others. As humans, we naturally want to be around other people. We are social creatures. But social anxiety may cause a fear reaction with the thought of being around others, hence the want for isolation. The best thing you can do is seek professional support from a mental health provider, as they can provide therapy and medicine for this type of problem. This is best to be handled soon, as it can be detrimental in the long term.

It’s okay to want to be alone, but also want some level of social interaction. My energy levels for socialising get drained very quickly and I’m used to being on my own. But I have found that I can isolate myself too much. I’ve found that when I do this, small goals can help like aiming to talk to someone every day or contacting a friend at least once a week. I found that if I’m out of the habit of socialising I do it less and less. I find that having commitments also helps - if I need to meet up with someone at a particular time I’ll be there, so volunteering as helps in getting me out and about.

As an introvert, having down time is important. But when you are isolating yourself too much, you are getting yourself an unhealthy habit. Sticking with an unhealthy habit for too long and you get yourself an unhealthy lifestyle. When you feel lonely, going out to meet strangers is a great way to break the habit. As a side not: volunteering can be life-saving for little hermit crabs.I am talking from my own experience. I was a little hermit crab, who loved staying home and eating snacks too much. Up till university, I had the tendency to isolate myself. My family shamed me for not being social at all and not putting efforts into network. I got scared of other people and I had problem talking with people outside of my family. Even after university, I found it difficult to seek job opportunities and deal with interviews. Then I started to volunteer for different non-profit organizations. Along the way I have learnt to cope with interacting with strangers. I got less and less nervous when I am doing public speaking. I am glad that I took the first step even though I know I have a long way to go to become what I want to be. It is normal to be afraid when you are not in your comfort zone. There is a quote, saying "Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear." I can't agree more. I encourage you to make some change everyday. One step at a time. One day when you look back, you will find out and be proud of how much you have achieved through small steps.

Try to be nice to yourself. Do little things that make you feel better. You have to take care of yourself before you can be the best for others and be there for them, you are the most important person in your life so take self care very seriously. I know it is hard to pull yourself out of the funk some times but you will come back to wanting to be around people again and feel like you want to be social again soon. It is an ebb and flow, everyone has low time and it makes the high times feel so much better!

Maybe you could try reaching out to some trusted friends or family. Let them know how you are feeling and think of a few ways they may be able to help you through this. For example, they could consider reaching out to you when it seems like you are starting to isolate yourself more. I have struggled with similar challenges in the past, and I found it really helpful to open up to one or two trusted friends who now reach out, just to check on me, when they haven't heard much from me in a few days. Perhaps something like this could help?

As cliché as it sounds, reaching out to people is usually what helps me the most when I'm feeling isolated. In order for it to be helpful however, you have to be honest about how you feel. Opening up is most difficult at the beginning. Trying to open up to somebody can often feel forced and unnatural. It helps to start off small. For example, just a few years ago when people asked me how I was doing I would always have the default answer of 'I'm good'. This was because I thought my problems would be a burden to others, or that they simply wouldn't care or couldn't help me. But in most cases this isn't true. It is true however that sometimes opening up is going to lead to some awkward conversations. And sometimes the person your talking to may not know the right thing to say or do but that's okay. The main benefit to opening up to others, at least for me, is that I was finally being honest. And this honesty made me feel more connected to others than I had been in years.

Hey there, I would say set little challenges. Like go outside for just 2 minutes. When you complete a challenge, reward your self, say well done or do something good for yourself. This will cause a positive spiral where you can keep doing small challenges. It doesn't matter how well or bad it went as long as you did it that's what you reward! I have done this myself to improve my social anxiety and it has been really effective for me and hopefully you too! Know that you can do it :) I hope this helps you, thank you :)

I think it's important to set goals for yourself that feel comfortable and reasonable. Sometimes feeling of loneliness can make us sad and help us slip us deeper into isolation. One technique to try would be setting a goal of having one conversation with a friend this week. You may enjoy talking to them and end up setting plans. This is a good way to allow things to happen naturally so you don't have to step too far out of your comfort zone. Also, if you are looking to talk to some people on here there are several groups you can join based on various different topics. These people can be great to talk to as they may be going through something similar to you!

Loneliness is a difficult emotion to manage. It is difficult to know whether some isolation is required to reflect on outcomes or if there should be support there. To move forward it is best to be around people who have a positive attitude. This will rub off on you and you will start exuding positivity also. Striking a healthy balance whilst achieving this positivity can be difficult for some as they are stuck in a rut and not able to envisage a positive path forward. Being stuck in this rut is frustrating as all you appear to do is go round in circles and chase your tail.

Sometimes we can feel like isolating ourselves from other people but we can become very lonely deep inside.It isn't healthy to keep things bottled up as it can make you feel worse,easier said than done to not bottle your feelings ,secrets etc. I suggest you telling someone how you feel like a listener or you can always talk to someone you know.If you keep your feelings inside for even a little it can impact you greatly.You can try to reach out to people to try to not feel as lonely and it could help but it might not always work

Journaling or talking to someone might help you work out your feelings. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member and share with them how you feel. If you're having trouble figuring out who to call, think about using 7 Cups to talk to a listener. Or you may reach out to someone you don't usually talk to and just ask if they would mind talking to you about how you're feeling. If you're talking to a friend or family member, ask them how they're feeling as well. Listen to one another with compassion and brainstorm together about ways that you might help one another.

I think the solution to this problem is to reach out selectively. If you feel like isolating yourself, you must have a reason. What you'll have to do, then, is find a way to reach out to others that does not contradict your reason for self-isolating. From there, it takes time, effort, and trust: time to develop relationships that are not just meaningful to others, but are meaningful to you, and battle against that loneliness; effort to change the way you look at your life, as it can be very easy to see a change in your life and adapt it to your preexisting view of your life, which seems to be one that allows for this loneliness. It may seem like a daunting task, to change your worldview, but it does not have to be all at once. Few major changes in life happen quickly, and this is no exception. The path to this change is individual, so I can't outline anything, but you must be willing and able to put in this effort. Finally, trust: you must put your trust in others to provide what you need. You don't need to tell them what you need, but you need to trust that you'll find the people who will lead you into a brighter time. Trust is probably the most vague of these three requirements, but it is necessary.

The fact that you are lonely means u need someone u trust in life to show u whats not going well in ur situation. Isolating urself is never the answer. Isolating yourself will just take you deeper and deeper with it and finally when you want to get out if that it will not let you. You would have no friends left to look up to . No family members that you are on good terms with. Talking to a trusted person will help you understand and solve it for good. That is my opinion you could disagree with it but still give it a though

it’s completely normal to want to distance yourself from people due to social awkwardness, anxiety or trust issues but everyone needs a small amount of human conversation and affection. the best way to open up to others is to spend more time with your family and close friends. making even a small effort to start conversations with new people or getting in touch with people you used to speak to can get you basic human interactions within your boundaries. remember, getting outside your comfort zone once in a while is what will help you get over these problems and grow as a person :)