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

Try talking about it, to a trained listener, or a therapist, it's a great way to start and get a perspective on what you really want, how you really feel, and perhaps even why.

A message that might help you is: what is most personal is also most universal. Often times, many of us think that no one can understand what we're feeling or thinking, and that mentality pushes us towards a cycle of isolation. However, many people are more relatable than we make them out to be. I know it will be hard, but try reaching out to someone you can trust, or even talk to someone on 7 Cups about what you are feeling that makes you want to isolate yourself and you will more than likely find that you are never alone in this world :)

It is best to talk to someone about this. You are being very brave by taking the first step and talking to us here. Talking to a friend or supportive family member may help, but talking to a trained professional will work best. As someone with depression, I often feel lonely and like I need to isolate everyone in my life, but that is when I realized I need people the most and have been the most comforted by the people who I found to care about me.

Try to interact with others when safe and possible. Also, utilize 7Cups to meet others and have a fun time. :)

Try to find people who can relate to you, and can understand. You would be making a friend and letting your feelings out.

I find that it often helps to read a book, as it involves you as a reader and surrounds you by other characters. It might inspire you to talk to people around you, for example family! :)

Fight the feeling and get out to mingle with people. Speaking with random people can cure your loneliness. The more you talk to people the less lonely you feel. Eventually, you'll find someone or people that will end your loneliness. The great thing you can do is fight the urge.

It's normal, you feel like you have to shield yourself fro others but at the same time you want to have meaningful connections. Ask yourself why you want to isolate yourself, do you think there is something inherently wrong with you? That you are not good enough? That you are a failure? These are tricks your mind plays on you to try to protect you, but the threats that it is afraid of aren't really there. It is impossible to be "not good enough" or anything like that by default

Ignore the first part of that feeling, don't isolate yourself and cut people off. Find people you can talk to, even if it is just a stranger you can have a random conversation with it is better than nothing. The worst you can do is isolate yourself and end up in that hellish echo chamber with only yourself to keep you company.

If you feel like isolating yourself as well as talking to others because your lonely is if you found friends to talk to see if they can come with you and keep you company while being away from crowded areas.