How To Cure Loneliness

QUESTION: How to cure loneliness - Is it possible?

ANSWER:

Loneliness generally visits all of us at one time or another in our lives and we wonder how to cure loneliness. Feelings of loneliness can occur at any time of the day or night and are most prevalent around holidays or special occasions. Loneliness is an intense feeling of being deserted or abandoned by everyone. If left untreated, loneliness can lead to other problems such as depression, feelings of uselessness, and lack of self-worth.

It is possible to ease your loneliness or even get rid of the feelings of loneliness altogether. All you need to do is get busy doing things that take your mind off of the problem.

Consider these tips on how to cure loneliness:

• Keep Busy. If you are lonely, don't dwell on the fact. Get up and get out! Go somewhere where there are a lot of people. Don't worry if you don't know any of them; sometimes being around other people can help brighten your spirits. Other simple things you can do to keep busy are to join a club, take some classes at the YMCA, volunteer at a non-profit organization, or take up a hobby that requires mental concentration. The point is to find something that interests you and run with.
  
  
• Get Involved. Your neighborhood and your church are two great places to start getting involved. On the surface this might sound like the same thing as keeping busy. Getting involved in something will require a little more time and lot more of your attention, but that is what you want. So commit yourself to some cause or charity that you feel passionate about. The more involved you get, the more people you will meet, the less and less loneliness will be an issue. Look around at the people you know who do not experience loneliness. Chances are, they are busy and involved people.
  
  
• Help Other Lonely People. There are a lot of people out there like yourself: people who are lonely and don't know how to cope with their loneliness. If you look for those people and strive to help cure their loneliness, in the end you will also be helping yourself to cure your own loneliness.
  
  
• See it for What it Is. You will need to start to view loneliness as a choice and not as a defined way of life. This means that you choose to be lonely when you do not really have to be lonely. Try being happy for a change and you will see the difference a smile will make. Just as feelings of loneliness breed more feelings of loneliness, feeling of happiness can bring about more feelings of happiness. If necessary, join a group that deals with feeling lonely. A group setting is designed to help you develop an optimistic attitude.
  
  
• Change your Thought Pattern. I don't know why, but people who feel lonely and depressed tend to watch shows and read materials that reinforce their depressed mood. Are you listening to music about heartbroken people? Are you watching movies that require a box of tissues? What you need to do is change your way of thinking! Start listening to uplifting music, read inspirational writing -- such as poems or the Bible -- and start watching uplifting TV shows. All of these will help to change your negative thought patterns.
  
  These are only some of the ways you can help to ease or eliminate your feelings of loneliness. There are others out there; all you have do is use your imagination. Also remember drugs and alcohol are not remedies for loneliness, they will only worsen the symptoms and ruin your physical health as well. No matter what you do to ease your loneliness, try to seek out remedies to loneliness that involve getting to know new people and making new friends. These are always the best way to change your thought patterns which will help you move on.
  
  
  Learn More About Coping With Loneliness!