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

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.

If you feel like isolating yourself you must do it. And if you are lonely you must try to embrace yourself more and try to enjoy your company. I know isolation is needed at times, so take your time to get yourself together. Its ok to not socialize for a brief time. Every one had their private bubble. When you had enough time to sort things out you can find yourself in a group to break the lonely crystal. You know that's the magic. You can do whatever you want, only potion needed is to give some efforts and follow your heart. And the main key is LOVE YOURSELF. :) I HOPE YOU SORT THINGS AND FIND HAPPINESS

I understand how you feel, I've felt something close to that. You want to isolate and distance yourself but you are truly quite lonely. It seems you're scared. I believe you should trust in yourself and spend some time with yourself. I'm not here to give advice, unfortunately, but I believe this is something you will conquer! Loneliness is one of the worst feelings in the world and it can be very suffocating. You are a great and beautiful person and someone hasn't seen that yet! Sometimes being brave is very helpful, who knows where it will lead you?

It’s ok, take a few days for yourself but make sure it doesn’t become a habit go take to your neighbors classmates even to you parents about how your day was this will help brighten your mood.If you can’t pull your self off o do it push your self into the sun where u can be reborn it will help make new friends or talk to old ones make a bucket list and keep your self busy if not u will end up lost in your thoughts which will not lead to a good thing ok take great care :)

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.

You may start with small steps such as reaching out to others on reputable sites such as 7cups. Share your feelings with listeners and maybe move to small groups and build a support base once you are comfortable. Create bigger goals broken into small manageable milestones and share them with your online support system so you have accountability partners to work on your goals with. Then work on each step and share your successes and your setbacks. Supportive people will celebrate your progress and offer support when you reach an obstacle. If you experience social anxiety you can start with small venues such as going to a coffee shop or a park to read. Then you may progress to events where you interact with others such as a cooking class or a community event. Getting involved in things in which you have interest makes it easier to connect with others because you all share the same interest. For example, if you love photography, take a class or join a local club, or if you like exercise, go to a class at a local gym and eventually you will become familiar with others and be able to strike up a conversation. If social anxiety is preventing you from taking small steps, you may need to work with a therapist to get professional insight and help to be able to take your first steps.

We feel lonely when we are unable to communicate with others , when we feel outcast , misunderstood , bullied or sometimes just because we don't want to bother others with our emotions that we see as an ISSUE for us. And when we feel lonely the best therapy we could think of is isolating ourselves , we pull our guards up and don't let anyone in because of all the unpleasant experiences we have already had. To some extent it's okay too , I mean protecting ourselves is not a bad idea, it just becomes a concern when we deny to come out of this isolation , when our fears are so big that they doesn't allow us to trust another human. But honestly speaking there are beautiful people in the world who are willing to hold our hand and guide us through this darkness of loneliness , all it needs us is to ask for it. How can we make that one relationship/friendship work if we grow our Walls and doesn't give that 1 out of 100 people a chance with whom we connect? Give yourself a chance by giving them an opportunity to know you. I think if you deal with loneliness , you might not feel the need to isolate yourself. Try to participate in life whether it's about taking walk in a park , talking to family/friends/strangers , listening to your favorite music , reading a book , treating yourself in a restaurant, exploring some new dimension of life or any other thing of your interest. Just do it. I know it will take every ounce of energy to do this but believe me it will be worthy at the end 😊

Maybe instead of completely isolating yourself, participate in solo activities or find a hobby/something you enjoy and are interested in. Completely cutting yourself is likely to not do you any good, just learn to enjoy your own company, and always speak to someone about how you feel as it's not always easy to deal with problems alone. Speak about how you feel with friends and family and people you trust and they may be able to help you in ways you couldn't help yourself. Talking to someone, whether they're a friend or a stranger, helps more than people think.

It is normal for all of us to feel lonely from time to time. May be it is time to ask what you need and want the most at this very moment. Do you have any void in your life? What do you see when you look yourself in the mirror? Are you happy with being who you are? Do you have family and friends? Are you comfortable being with a close group of friends ? Or are you comfortable being with a large group of friends? What do you do when you’re alone? Ask yourself what you want the most right now.

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!

I have been here many times myself. Sometimes, I find that the best thing for me to do in this situation is to go outside. I don't need to talk to anyone, or do anything in particular. When I lived in a city, I would just walk to a park, and listen to people talk and laugh. I know the desire to isolate oneself can be really strong. I also have some social anxiety/introverted tendencies, so sometimes I get even more tired and lonely and frustrated when I talk to people, but just going for a walk outside will help reset my mood. Everyone is different, though, so try to find something that works for you!

When you feel like isolating yourself you probably aren't enjoying your surroundings. is it true? In such a case it feels weird and confusing and i completely understand it . But ask yourself what is the one thing you enjoy doing ? what makes you happy ? And keep doing it. you will find it soothing once you do what you like doing . And loneliness doesn't always require people to be healed. You can feel less lonely and happy with yourself. So if you do feel like being alone its fine . Do what you want to and enjoy it. Focus on yourself and you will no longer be lonely

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.

We feel like that sometimes because we want to know if someone cares. If someone will respond to our desperate calls for help one thing you should know is that before you expect someone to help you you should help yourself. You should be comfortable in your own skin. Then we would not be scared that no one will catch us if we fall. Your thoughts start to change and that positive outlook will attract positive people in you life. Just trust yourself that is all that matters. Learn to accept and love yourself for who you were, who you are and finally who you hope to become one day

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 :)

This is a totally normal and human thought! Sometimes it is nice to take time for yourself and can actually be apart of self care. If you feel that is not the reason why you are isolating and do not want to be around people, start slow. Spend time with people that you love and try to do activities you like as well. If big group settings overwhelm you spend some time with family or with a friend. It can also help to exercise and get some time outside to clear your head. You know yourself the best so start doing the things that make you happiest as well.

I know exactly how that feels. Loneliness is something that's been with me my entire life and I always end up pushing people away and isolating myself even more, even though I know it's a trap. You have to force yourself out of that comfort zone of isolation and self-pity of "why no one truly likes me?". As uncomfortable as it is at first I usually send a message to a friend I haven't talked to in a while, just a "hey, how's it going?" if I feel like talking to them. Or write my loneliness out on a blog and share it to trusted people on facebook, hoping someone will notice and reach out - it's like broadcasting a call for help. Another option is signing up for some sort of social activity - signing up is the key here, because it feels like you commit to it, someone will expect you, and hold accountable for showing up to some extent. I never believe it will work, I expect to feel all alone among all those new people I'll meet, yet another situation where I don't belong, but the actual outcome is nearly as bad. Meeting new people and chatting about trivial things takes you mind off of that feeling of loneliness, at least temporarily. I know how insanely hard it is sometimes to resist that urge to isolate, but be aware of it, be aware that it's a trap, and search ways how to walk around it and not succumb :)

You reach out for help. You try not to isolate yourself because this can do more harm than good. Being lonely isn't a disease, it happens sometimes. Don't worry and tell your close ones about your feelings! It's important to walk daily, take some fresh air for the mind to function properly. It's important to do everything you can to get out of your comfort zone. I know it's hard, but you can manage it. If you don't have someone to support you, try making new friends, meeting new people. I met a lot of my friends at the gym for example.

I'm so sorry. I've felt that way so often. It's hard for me to express myself easily or trust others, so I wind up being silent in social situations or going on autopilot in conversations. To me, it feels like I've turned invisible to others and become a ghost or like there's a wall of glass between me and everyone else. What's helped me is remembering the times I have felt connected and not alone. What helps you feel connected and when have you not felt alone? Maybe you can start there to figure out what you can do next.

Although I can not give you direct advice on what to do as that’s not what my job is you can talk to me and we can try to look into why you feel this way. Everyone feels lonely sometimes and how you feel is valid. Do you feel like this all the time or does something trigger you feeling this way? If we look into that maybe we could find a cause in your life that creates the feeling that you have to isolate yourself and try to find a way that you can avoid that trigger. Does that sound like something you are comfortable discussing?

Developing self awareness helps navigate and understand what to do. How isolation affects you depends on your personal relationship with your own self and on the fact or trigger that caused the isolation. Sometimes isolation leads to self reflection and discovery, fostering productivity, creativity and individual progress. In many times it can also magnify feelings of frustration self doubt self destructive thought patterns, putting oneself in an endless viscous circle. To connect with others, you may use what helps you connect with yourself. Personal hobbies and interests groups or communities where this is shared and discussed help develop sense of belonging and boost self-confidence. It naturally puts one in a supportive environment that promotes individual growth.

Sometimes being your friend can help. If your internal world is at peace your outer world will follow. While we can't control what others do, we can control ourselves. Self-love and acceptance is the key to most internal issues. Although it's really hard, maybe reach out to someone you really trust and explain to them how you're feeling? I know it's really hard to feel like this but, there are people that genuinely love and accept you, in happiness and sorrow. If it makes you feel better the 7cups community cares about. It might also be a good idea to think, how would I respond to a friend if they came to me with this issue? What is stopping you from giving yourself that advice? After all, you know yourself best. I think asking this inquisitive questions and journaling and having someone to just listen,would benefit you greatly even if it feel weird at first

We may feel like isolating when you feel vulnerable, cumbersome or ashamed, or tired. Finding someone who you can feel safe with, just to spend some quiet time together, or for the person just to listen, nod, and reassure you, can be comforting, an equilibrium between connection, in the form of listening, and isolation (in the form of not having to hear anything if you don't want to). Often loneliness doesn't come from being alone, but from our thoughts. Thoughts of being different, of not being wanted, if abandonment, of not belonging, of being a fraud, or otherwise unappetizing or undesirable.

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.

I have an idea! Based on my personal experience, I would get this feeling many times as well. I suggest telling your friends and family you are taking time to meditate. Then, actually listen to calming soothing sounds for as long as you like. There are also many guided meditations available online. Meditation can help in so many ways. It gives you time to yourself, clarity, time to focus on breathing, and overall finding inner peace. I highly recommend practicing this. Another suggestion is to have a day or two to yourself watching movies, focusing on yourself and whatever you want to do. Either one should help you fulfil that desire to be to yourself and then coming back to speaking with others with more clarity and feeling good about yourself.

Start to open yourself to others, tell the truth about your feeling to yourself, and don't hide anything. The way to not feel lonely inside is to connect with others and build relationship. When the way we life is wrong. We can feel lonely in the rest of our life. Don't to hard on yourself in every way, give yourself time to take a breath from the world. Do the good things, you can also to do meditation to help. When you feel isolating yourself, just do meditation, something good, or something that can make you not feel alone in this world.

it’s okay. sometimes we feel the need to eliminate everyone because their presence still makes us feel just as lonely. reaching out to your friends and family to let them know how you’re feeling is one solution. communicating about a problem you’re facing with the people that care about you ALWAYS helps. if that isn’t possible, you can always find new friends in this virtual generation. you can also take time from social life and focus yourself towards a challenge, activity or a hobby and put your energy on it. moreover, you can distract yourself with movies and tv shows.

I can really hear that you have this need to withdraw from forming and connections with other people but internally you feel you need people to connect with. You might want to ask yourself what loneliness means for you. Is it about lacking relationships or having none or is it about people not holding you in as high regard as you hold them? Ask yourself if you are feeling left out in anyway in your friendships, family relations or work relations. Another interesting question to ask yourself can be what is triggering yourself to what to isolate? People can be disinclined to interact with others because they have been bullied in the past or it may have something to do with upbringing. What people who have this sense of loneliness tend to turn to working on becoming content with oneself. Getting to know yourself through developing hobbies and interests can give you the satisfaction. Through this you can make discoveries about yourself, what you like and what you dislike. Your thoughts and feelings can be expressed through other reflective ways such as journal writing or writing in a diary. Mindfulness is another medium teaching breathing techniques as well as inner acceptance of the essence of you. Ask yourself your thoughts about self-care and the people you associate with and what they mean for your own mental health. Thing of those things or people you appreciate and are grateful for in your life. Recognition of what makes you tick and what satisfies you can be unraveled in ways in which you do not know. This feeling of loneliness can come in different shapes and forms and there are different ways to overcome this. Your welcome to reach out to one of our listeners for further support or one of our therapists, some of which who have identified with feeling lonely. Thank you so much for reaching out and I hope you get the support you need.