The crippling effects of loneliness…

By Joanne

When I started counselling, I was perhaps the loneliest I had ever been. I had finished school and university, and I thought that with the end of these went the end of my opportunities to make friends. My anxiety had created a wall between me and any potential relationship.

I didn’t leave the house for months after I left university, and I thought that was how the rest of my life would be. I distanced myself from social media because it was too difficult seeing other people my age with their friends.

But I didn’t want my life to be held back by my anxiety, and I didn’t want it to keep making me feel as lonely as I did. So, I started counselling sessions with York Women’s Counselling. It really felt like a weight being lifted from me, having an understanding person to speak to about things I had previously only written down. Even just the bus ride to my sessions helped me feel less lonely, because I was finally leaving the house.

Now, I understand my anxiety more and how I can stop it from being such an obstacle in my life. My anxiety was a way of keeping myself safe, but ultimately the sadness and loneliness it caused me wasn’t worth it. I can control anxious thoughts, push through the negative emotions they might cause me, and let myself form friendships with people that I previously couldn’t.

It was hard to admit to myself that I was lonely, and even harder to admit it to other people. But doing so allowed me to accept help through counselling. I now have more confidence than ever in my ability to connect with people, and I can start to feel like part of the world again.