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

I don't think it's reasonable to tell you to just "get out there". You're obviously isolating yourself for a reason and it is most likely a good one. You have to find out what that reason is though and you also have to find out whether isolating yourself makes you feel better than trying to be around people. If you would rather be isolated than actually work towards not being lonely, that is always your choice. If you don't want to be lonely, you have to find out why you seek to isolate yourself. It could be one big thing that happened in your past, a pattern of things that happened in your past, it varies from person to person. Think about what is causing you to feel this way.

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I have been there and I can tell that its difficult. No matter what people say or tell you to deal with it in a particular way, it won't work until you want it to. Until and unless you are ready to move forward every method will be useless. Speaking from personal experiences, writing a diary as cheesy as it sounds, it helps. For me though, reading books, novels really, helped a LOT. Its a good way to escape reality for a few moments but like I said nothing would work until you really try. You should try and find something that burns a deep desire in you to achieve it. Believe me, if you really want to get rid of this feeling, that's the starting point...

It can seem counter intuitive to isolate oneself when feeling lonely, but I have found myself doing the exact thing. I was confused about why I was isolating myself when I really wanted to be around others. At first, it seemed like being alone would be easiest, to not inconvenience others or ask for help. But, as soon as I talked to a friend, I realized that it was incredibly helpful to talk to someone else about the loneliness I was feeling. I would think about what makes you feel better when you have been lonely before, and if talking to others has been helpful. Simply talking to someone about my feelings helped me feel less lonely. Reaching out for help is definitely difficult, but isolating when feeling lonely really helps amplify the feeling of loneliness.

My personal experience would be that when that feeling of loneliness is actually making me feel like not doing something social, I usually benefit from socializing anyway. My tip would be to start small, as small as you want, but to start: it can be to text someone something nice to smile at a stranger today (busdriver/cashier/lady with dog), to call a close one or if you dont have close ones a semi-close-one or if you dont have that, to start looking for groups you could join (I know groupsituations can be uncomfortable but sometimes exposure is the best medicine I find, as I said you can start as "small" as you like - the "small" things matter more than a lot of people think! )

I think you're isolating yourself because you feel very lonely in the deep inside. Try talking to your family or friends about this. Once you get that feeling of belonging and love, you might abandon the idea of isolating yourself. One of the top human needs is belonging and love, so I think talking to people who really knows you well would help. You can also talk to people who have similar mind with you, because they know what you're feeling. You can also just hop online and starts to talk with a 7cups listener, and talk about your mind.

I have felt this and it is not easy. I think isolating yourself is good once in a while, to not have a care in the world, and be happy, but sometimes, we need to take a break from life. And isolating yourself is a good way to, like have a take care of your mental health day. But if you're deep down lonely, I think its great to find new friends online, of course, isolating yourselves is not for everyone, its only for some, but when you do, don't keep isolating yourself from the world, because as humans we need social interaction everyday at least.

I'm sorry to hear about your loneliness. I can relate to wanting to isolate but feeling lonely at the same time. It's definitely a conflict and something many people have felt and struggled with, particularly if you are introverted. I think it comes down to what you would like to change. If you want to be less lonely, ultimately you will have to take action to change that. You can simply start with baby steps or even stay with baby steps, meaning, you can start small like talking to people online, then you can branch out to video calls with groups or events you're interested in, and eventually move beyond that to in-person social activities.

It seems that you are wrestling with two opposing feelings. When we have conflicting desires, it is good to slow down and take stock of our emotions before making a decision, especially one as drastic as self-isolation. It is completely okay and often healthy to take time to be alone with and listen to your own thoughts, but it can become harmful to self-isolate for extended periods of time out of fear of social interaction or becoming a burden to other people. It may be helpful to take some additional time to work through these conflicting emotions, whether through your preferred methods of self-expression (journaling, art, etc.) or by talking with another person, especially another listener with 7 Cups. Your feelings are entirely valid and you deserve to be able to vent to people you trust.

I would try and make sure that you have balance between isolated and alone time vs social time with friends and family. Try and get out every day and spend time with friends and family and be social so that you do no isolate yourself too much. However, also make time for yourself in the day, such as an hour of self time every day. You can use this self time to read, relax, get exercise, watch netflix, journal, nap, etc. This way you can create more of a balance and still have your self isolation time, but be able to get out and be social so you are not lonely.