“The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.”
– Deepak Chopra
“Someone you haven’t even met yet is wondering what it’d be like to know someone like you.”
– Iain Thomas
Do you often feel alone and lonely? Do you find yourself thinking thoughts like: “No one likes me” or “I’ll be alone forever” or “I’m different than other people”? Living with depression, social anxiety, or other mental health issues can lead to a negative self-concept and a deep, pervasive feeling of loneliness.
If you have been feeling depressed or irritable or anxious, you may find yourself turning down social invitations and withdrawing from the people you love, preferring to spend more time alone. You may intentionally or unintentionally push people away, even when you feel desperate for validation and support and companionship. Withdrawing from others might seem like a good idea because you may not feel like you have the energy to be around other people, or you may wish to avoid exposing others to your gloomy or irritated mood. You may worry that if your friends see the “real” you, they won’t like you anymore. But these justifications for isolating yourself are rarely true. The truth is that mental health issues usually become worse in isolation, while connecting with others can actually relieve some of the symptoms.
If loneliness has become an issue for you, I can help you learn to reach out and relate to others in a different way, so you can have more intimate and fulfilling relationships. I can also help you identify and change any unhealthy thought patterns or behaviors that are preventing you from forming healthy relationships. While you are expanding your social circle outside our sessions, I can provide you with the support you need in our sessions so you feel more connected along the way!