Things have been getting bad again, but I thought I was starting to recover. I genuinely don’t have anyone to talk to anymore, and I’m no one’s favorite person. I’m so lonely and it makes me feel sick.
CONSIDER THIS:
- Feeling lonely can make you feel depressed and negative. You are strong for enduring your situation even though it must be very difficult for you.
- If you need someone to talk to, you can head to the Teen Central website and click the Help tab to use a hotline or text line. You may also click the Learn tab to read about Depression, Anxiety, Bullying, Spirituality, Suicide, Self Injury and more. The Stories tab has stories submitted by other teens and answered by counselors. The Tools tab has downloadable resources available. Consider speaking to a trusted therapist, school counselor or religious leader about your problems if necessary.
- If you feel down, sad and/or lost the motivation everyone needs to live a normal life, you may have depression. Knowledge is power. Click the Learn tab then Depression on the Teen Central website to learn more about this issue.
- You can be positive by repeating positive affirmations to yourself whenever you feel down. Read inspiring quotes and write down a few things you’re grateful for in a daily journal. Find something to laugh at on a regular basis by watching cartoons, reading a favorite book, drawing funny pictures or by watching a humorous television show or movie. Being yourself by expressing your feelings in healthy ways and doing the activities you enjoy can help you find genuine friends. The Tools tab on the Teen Central website has resources to download called Positive Reminder, Positive Talk, Yoga Pose and Social Skills among others.
- Always having something to hope for can keep you from spiraling out of control. This may be a book you want to read, movie you’d love to see or food you’d like to try.
- Taking care of your mind, body and spirit is essential to your overall health, well-being and happiness. You can eat healthy meals at their appropriate times, exercise regularly without overdoing it and be spiritual so you can have a meaningful life.
- Volunteering improves mental health, brings meaning into your life, may give you a sense of purpose and can help you feel less alone, even if you don’t volunteer with a group of people. This is because it can be very fulfilling and rewarding to help those less fortunate. Besides this, you may even find a good friend. Some ways to volunteer include reading to children, conserving the environment, training to be a counselor or walking dogs at an animal shelter. Consider the benefits of fostering or adopting a pet from a pet shelter. Animals can help you cure your loneliness because one could become your best friend. You have the chance to save a life and give it a genuinely loving home. You can find opportunities you can do from home or in your area by visiting websites like Volunteermatch.org.
- Filling your days with meaningful activities can be comforting and help you feel less alone.
- You can let negative situations and cruel people make you a stronger person. Try reading inspiring stories on reputable websites or books about people who’ve beat their tragic situations and became stronger for it.
- You may also try joining a school club, sports team or other activity you might enjoy to make new friends or just to have something to do.
- Creativity can help you express your feelings in a healthy way and be yourself more. Some creative activities are coloring in a coloring book, painting, drawing, creative writing, listening to music or playing a musical instrument.
- Spirituality may inspire you to live a more meaningful life filled with purpose, have something to believe in and feel less alone. Spiritual techniques like prayer, meditation and yoga can bring you peace of mind, and be beneficial to your body, mind and spirit in many other ways. You may also attend church services.
- You deserve to live a better life filled with people who genuinely care about you and who let you be yourself. Continue to be yourself and endure your situation for a better life. Being a teenager is often the most difficult time of a person’s life. If this is true for you, your life will improve with time, patience, positivity and inner strength.
HELP YOURSELF:
- How can committing to having a positive mindset improve your happiness and life now and in the future?
- In what ways can setting positive goals (attending college, getting a part-time job, achieving good grades for a better future, etc.) take your mind off of being lonely?
- In what ways can having relationships with people who care about you as yourself make you feel more positive each day?
