Why do I feel lonely all the time?

Why do I feel lonely all the time?

It’s natural to feel lonely at some points in our lives but feeling lonely for long periods of time can impact on our wellbeing and mental health.

Loneliness can be different for everyone. It can be a feeling of isolation, a lack of support, or regularly going without contact with others.

And loneliness is not always the same as being alone. You may have lots of people around you, be in a relationship, be part of a family or community, but still feel lonely – especially if you don’t feel understood or supported.

Loneliness can affect everyone for many different reasons too. This could be down to big life changes such as bereavement, heartbreak, retirement, becoming a new parent, or might be triggered by certain times of the year, such as Christmas.

And when we’re feeling lonely, it can feel like we’re the only one. One in five people admit to feelings of loneliness and three in five people say they don’t feel confident talking about loneliness, so continue to suffer in silence.

Here’s some things you could try to help with loneliness:

• Join a local community group or class doing something you enjoy
• Visit places where you can just be around people such as your local library, community centre, park or café
• Talk about how you are feeling to a family member, friend or work colleague

If you’re feeling anxious, start to lose your appetite, have trouble sleeping, and feel consistently low, you may be dealing with chronic loneliness. It’s important to address loneliness in a healthy way – the NHS Talking Therapies, Kent and Medway team can help.

Find out more about our providers’ self-referral process to access a local Kent and Medway talking therapy that’s tailored to you. Our team can help get yourself back on track to feeling yourself again and work with you on ways of managing in the future too.