He told me his biggest problem was not how bad he felt. He just didnt feel. And he was afraid he never would.
He was lonely…. “past lonely”… he said. He was diagnosed with depression many years ago. He couldnt remember his last friend. He saw himself as a friendly person and thought others saw him the same way— but friends- no. Their had been some serious sexual abuse as a child. He knew that he was “walled off” from other people, but had no idea how to break down the walls.
He said he was even a “failure as a patient.” He wanted to talk about his feelings— he just didnt know where they were. He thought he could at least “be sad….”
He wants to come to a support group, but is unsure about that. We talked about numbness and depression being the same thing for many people. And we talked about that it didnt always have to be that way. And we talked about being lonely and about how maybe a beginning would be to not be alone so much.
I think he will try. I hope so. For many of the people I have met with mental health issues loneliness is one of the hardest things. One lady told me, “I so envy them there friends.”
Maybe you know someone who is lonely you can reach out to. Maybe you need someone to reach out to you. It is bad enough to be Robinson Crusoe and be marooned from other people. It is doubly hard to be Robinson Crusoe in a crowd.
He told me his biggest problem was not how bad he felt. He just didnt feel. And he was afraid he never would.
He was lonely…. “past lonely”… he said. He was diagnosed with depression many years ago. He couldnt remember his last friend. He saw himself as a friendly person and thought others saw him the same way— but friends- no. Their had been some serious sexual abuse as a child. He knew that he was “walled off” from other people, but had no idea how to break down the walls.
He said he was even a “failure as a patient.” He wanted to talk about his feelings— he just didnt know where they were. He thought he could at least “be sad….”
He wants to come to a support group, but is unsure about that. We talked about numbness and depression being the same thing for many people. And we talked about that it didnt always have to be that way. And we talked about being lonely and about how maybe a beginning would be to not be alone so much.
I think he will try. I hope so. For many of the people I have met with mental health issues loneliness is one of the hardest things. One lady told me, “I so envy them there friends.”
Maybe you know someone who is lonely you can reach out to. Maybe you need someone to reach out to you. It is bad enough to be Robinson Crusoe and be marooned from other people. It is doubly hard to be Robinson Crusoe in a crowd.
Take care. Give care.