“When one is home alone, all day, with nothing to do, nobody to speak with, stuck with their thoughts both good and bad, it’s easy to slip back into a depressive state. Feeling unneeded, unwanted, no happiness, no joy, no reason to get out of bed – just suffering with “the blahs”.”
Struggled with:
Depression
Loneliness
Helped by:
Self-improvement
“Closing yourself doesn’t help in such situations. It took a lot of effort to get out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I did it. I consider myself an introvert, but you do find like-minded people in group events. You just have to push yourself, get out of your room, and be part of these meetings.”
Struggled with:
Loneliness
Stress
Helped by:
Self-improvement
“The struggle with social anxiety prevented me from forming meaningful connections and enjoying the richness of life’s social interactions. It wasn’t merely a fleeting discomfort; it was a pervasive and persistent presence that tainted my experiences.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Loneliness
Racism
Stress
Helped by:
Self-acceptance
Self-improvement
Therapy
“I never understood why I couldn’t just be happy. I would beat myself up over it, wondering why I couldn’t be content with my beautiful home and fulfilling life. But my PTSD and trauma had a profound impact on my happiness and the happiness of my family.”
Struggled with:
Childhood
Loneliness
PTSD
Stress
“Isolation, ruminating thoughts of my father dying by himself, alone and scared, surrounded only by occasional strangers in hazmatlike PPE clothing (this was a particularly effective form of emotional cutting and torture); junk food; not getting out of bed or showering; not answering my phone; and lots of wine—like red Solo cups full. I was a train wreck. Plain and simple.”
Struggled with:
Breakup
Depression
Loneliness
“Leaving my home country and studying abroad presented its own set of challenges. I experienced months of intense loneliness, barely leaving my student hall. I slept during the day, avoiding people for weeks. I felt emotionally numb, happy for others’ successes but powerless in my own life.”
Struggled with:
Childhood
Depression
Grief
Loneliness
Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
Self-improvement
“I was referred to a psychiatrist and he told me that I was experiencing clinical depression and advised me to do a lot of walking to avoid medicines. But my condition did not improve, and therefore I was put on fluoxetine during my 7th month of pregnancy and admitted to the hospital for a month.”
Struggled with:
Depression
Loneliness
Helped by:
Self-Care
Self-improvement
Spirituality
“As a result of my struggle with loneliness, I began to self-isolate. I felt hopeless and felt like interactions were a chore. Everything was an endless loop of routine and I could not wait for each day to end.”
Struggled with:
Depression
Loneliness
Helped by:
Volunteering