Loneliness and Mental Health
Loneliness seems to be on the increase these days and it is effecting people’s mental health and well being. A charity I am involved with is making a concerted effort in helping older members of our society in their feelings of loneliness. Sadly, for many seniors, the television is the only real companionship that they have. Occasional visits from family, where there is family, does not appear to be any where near enough to help people to fell connected.
I would suggest that this is not only an issue for our older citizens, but also for younger ones as well. I see many people in their 30’s and 40’s come into my office feeling disconnected and lonely. They work, but not not really make connections. They struggle with personal relationships so they spend their down time alone. It helps to foster feelings of depression and anxiety hitherto unknown for these reasons in our younger population.
Therapy can assist a person to look at the causes of their loneliness and to explore new strategies in order to assist them to make better choices for themselves and to live a more balanced and healthy life. Let’s not forget also, that sometimes therapy isn’t needed. All that some people need is just a friendly “Hello, how are you doing today” in order to feel more connected to their fellow human beings.
