Loneliness is probably one of the scariest feelings we can have. Loneliness is such a scary feeling because it is the one feeling that makes us face ourselves. More than fear or anger, loneliness brings us back into our own thoughts, our own feelings, and our own histories. We fear loneliness because we feel disconnected from the world and we often are fearful that we won’t be able to find human connection again. Loneliness reminds us of our vulnerability and we don’t end up with justification the same way we do with an emotion like anger.
Loneliness is the leading cause of suicide. This is because without human connection most of us do not know how to change our own thoughts and beliefs and we often don’t know how to change our own mind frames. So once we hit loneliness, we feel empty and devoid, and in many cases worthless. We crave human connection so desperately that loneliness actually can make us feel as though our presence here on the planet is not valued by anyone. We have no connection of understanding and we fear for our own safety. It is more than possible to reach out beyond your loneliness and find someone who does understand, if even for a brief moment. When loneliness captures us we need to find the coping skills that will help to set us free. The loneliness is a temporary situation. Life is also temporary, but life is not designed for loneliness. Reaching out beyond the feeling can be life saving for you, and possibly someone else.
