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Belongs to: Everyone has had those moments when they felt alon
I’ve definitely practiced a lot of isolation when I get to feeling lonely, subsequently making it worse. I know in my heart that the people that love me would never turn me away if I just opened up.
It’s understandable that you’ve practiced isolation when loneliness strikes. It’s often a protective instinct, trying to shield yourself from further hurt by retreating inward. I’ve been there too, where it felt safer to withdraw, even though I knew deep down it made things tougher in the long run.
The fact that you recognize those who love you wouldn’t turn you away is really important. Sometimes just acknowledging that truth is the first step toward breaking out of isolation. Reaching out can feel intimidating when you’re used to closing yourself off, but finding even one person you can trust with a small piece of what you’re feeling can help ease that loneliness.
You’re not alone in this, and you deserve to feel supported by those who care about you. They would want to know if you’re struggling and would probably feel grateful that you trusted them enough to share. It’s okay to take it slow and open up at your own pace.
Remember that your feelings matter and that you’re worthy of support, even if reaching out feels difficult right now. Your heart knows that love is there waiting for you. Take care of yourself and be gentle with your own process of opening up.
Yeah it’s tricky when you’re in this place where your head knows the “right” answer, but you end up not choosing it anyways because the fear is just…idk, it sucks the action right out of you. It’s like your brain takes the step, but your body stays still.
It’s also kind of like being in a fog, you know? Like, looking back you see the moment where you could have reached out, but in the moment, it’s hard to even “know” you’re supposed to do it. You end up just feeling lonely, and your brain sometimes doesn’t connect that “reaching out” can be done when you feel that way.
So it’s tricky, because you’re lonely, you could reach out and you don’t, or you forget to altogether, so you get into these patterns of being lonely and just hoping it will change, hoping someone will reach out, hoping to be seen.
In my life, those moments where I’m hoping to be seen end up being really depressing, because then I start to tell myself things like - I guess I just don’t matter to anyone. No one cares about me. And those kinds of lies get tighter and tighter as I lean into them. Like…would anyone even care if I wasn’t here?
I appreciate you reaching out here because you are practicing the act of saying - hey, I can do this. I can get my feet (or hands) to do what my brain tells them to do. And because of that you are practicing the strength so that in those moments of loneliness you have new information…I can DO this. I CAN reach out. It WILL go well. And I AM stronger than that fear, that voice that says to pause.
Well done!!