Loneliness Part 2: Deterring Depression

Everyone feels lonely from time to time. It’s a normal part of the human experience.

But some people are more vulnerable to slipping from loneliness into depression. Or there can be hard times in your life when feeling lonely is only one step away from isolation and depression.

People who are at risk of depression typically feel isolated and lonely; they have low self-esteem that can easily tip into more extreme feelings of self-blame and guilt, even self-disgust. And such negative thought patterns can lead to full-blown depression.

If you’re having bad feelings about yourself, feeling lonely and worthless, here are some things you can do to intervene and reduce the risk of falling into depression.

1. Expand Your Social Support Network
Isolation increases the tendency to self-blame. Connection and social contact can go a long way to helping you alleviate your loneliness and get a different perspective on the world. Reach out to friends, colleagues, and family to increase the positive connections in your life.

2. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps you deal with what is in front of you right now. Developing a mindfulness practice can help you accept your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Simply by observing what is happening around you, focusing on what you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste will help you break out of your negative thought patterns.

3. Practice Self-compassion
People who are caught up in feelings of negative self-worth are often extremely tough on themselves. Allow yourself a little imperfection. Be kind and change that internal monologue to one less punitive.

4. Change Your Self-talk
Have a look at your internal soundtrack. Is it full of self-recrimination? Do you magnify your flaws and faults? Now, would you talk to a friend like that? Rewrite that script into something more positive and self-affirming. If that is too difficult to think about right now, try some of the books, apps, or websites that offer affirmations.

5. Use Emotional Reappraisal
Depression often manifests in ruminating on the negatives in your life. Reappraisal is a cognitive-behavioral technique that involves reframing negative thoughts of an event or situation and flipping them to a more positive view. With practice, you can use reappraisal o reduce your negative feelings and feel better about yourself and the situation.

NOTE:
If, after taking some action, your loneliness doesn’t seem to improve, or if it is persistent and leaves you feeling hopeless, seek the help of a qualified therapist.

This is Part 2 of a series on Loneliness
For Part 1, go to ==> Loneliness: 7 Types

Sources
Image by Daniel Reche from Pixabay

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