Many of us feel lonely from time to time. Feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone's experience will be different.

Some people describe loneliness as the feeling we have when our need for social contact and relationships isn’t met. But loneliness isn’t the same as being alone.

You may feel content without much contact with other people. But others may find this a lonely experience.

Some people may only feel lonely at certain times. But some people may experience chronic loneliness. This is a deep feeling of loneliness that goes on for a long time. You may be around others and still feel like you’re alone.

Some people might think that you need to live alone to feel lonely. Or that being lonely means not having many friends or family around you.

But you can have lots of social contact and support and still feel lonely. Especially if you don't feel understood or cared for by the people around you.

Is loneliness a mental health problem?

Feeling lonely isn't a mental health problem. But having a mental health problem can increase feelings of loneliness. For example, if you’re struggling with your mental health, you may:

• Avoid social events and activities you usually enjoy
• Have low self-esteem
• Find it hard to try new things and worry about engaging with others
• Find it difficult to speak to people about how you’re feeling, for fear of stigma or not being understood
• Feel like you could be a burden to others
• Feel overwhelmed in busy public places, or at work events and parties

There are various treatments available that can help you with loneliness, contact Y2T for more info.