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Guest
Guest
i am another lonely person.
...and i heard a doctor speak about addiction the other day.
addiction is a disease, not unlike depression and other mental illnesses, because it changes brain chemistry and/or structure.
now i can't help but think that loneliness changes brains just as much (in fact i'm sure studies have proven this).
in this case, the longer someone is lonely the harder it would be to repair the damage loneliness has done.
therefore, sometimes it really isn't our fault that we can't get out of this cycle of loneliness (most of us are probably clinically depressed, right?). sometimes things need to change outside of us, and not just inside.
we need to go through a period of detoxification (of bad feelings) like an addict, so that we can see clearly. to do this we almost always need professional help, or help from family or another social network (if we are lucky enough to find one).
and then we can go on to recovering from loneliness by being reintegrated into society. like anyone with a disease, we probably will relapse and the effects of loneliness will always be somewhere in us, but for most people, loneliness can be overcome.
as for myself, i am focused on recovering, again, now. i have to make a conscious effort, despite my inner down-talk, to put myself in positions where i have to be in social contact with people (family or acquantance's party's; living with a roommate; speaking in class; working at a job that requires contact with others; going to public lectures/discussions.)
just like an alcoholic is tempted to buy booze, i am tempted to go home and curl up with my cat so that i don't have to explain myself to anyone (i can escape). but we don't really want to escape life, do we?
...and i heard a doctor speak about addiction the other day.
addiction is a disease, not unlike depression and other mental illnesses, because it changes brain chemistry and/or structure.
now i can't help but think that loneliness changes brains just as much (in fact i'm sure studies have proven this).
in this case, the longer someone is lonely the harder it would be to repair the damage loneliness has done.
therefore, sometimes it really isn't our fault that we can't get out of this cycle of loneliness (most of us are probably clinically depressed, right?). sometimes things need to change outside of us, and not just inside.
we need to go through a period of detoxification (of bad feelings) like an addict, so that we can see clearly. to do this we almost always need professional help, or help from family or another social network (if we are lucky enough to find one).
and then we can go on to recovering from loneliness by being reintegrated into society. like anyone with a disease, we probably will relapse and the effects of loneliness will always be somewhere in us, but for most people, loneliness can be overcome.
as for myself, i am focused on recovering, again, now. i have to make a conscious effort, despite my inner down-talk, to put myself in positions where i have to be in social contact with people (family or acquantance's party's; living with a roommate; speaking in class; working at a job that requires contact with others; going to public lectures/discussions.)
just like an alcoholic is tempted to buy booze, i am tempted to go home and curl up with my cat so that i don't have to explain myself to anyone (i can escape). but we don't really want to escape life, do we?
