A Look into the Fog of Loneliness and Depression

When feeling lost, confused, and overwhelmed, depression can quickly become a dark cloud looming over every day life. Loneliness and depression can seem like swirling fog that descends upon us before we have time to think, leaving us feeling empty and without relief. It’s hard to escape the ensuing hopelessness caused by the unshakable feeling that no one can help us.

Take heart in knowing that you are not alone. Many people struggle with the same issues that have come to reward you. While the fog of loneliness and depression may temporarily blind you from reality, know that help is out there. The first step is to acknowledge the misunderstanding among friends, family and even strangers, while reminding yourself that emotions should not be put aside and deep-seated pain should not be ignored.

The next step is to make small changes in your daily life. Try to take a step back to objectively evaluate the source of your emotions and the situation they have become the center of. This doesn’t necessarily entail any major decisions on your part, but rather small changes in how you manage your thoughts and feelings.

You can also seek external help. Consider reaching out to support groups and stop bottling up your emotions and struggling alone. Supplemented with healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious meals and exercising, you can create an internal environment for healing and growth. Regular meetings with a therapist can also conduct this process in a safe environment, where your pain can be viewed from an outside perspective and you can start to identify patterns in your behavior and thoughts that could lead to more destructive outcomes in the future.

Change can sometimes be excruciatingly slow and, even though you can’t expect immediate transformation, keep going, one small step at a time. Grasp onto the thought that you are strong and capable - that you do have power of choice when it comes to your thoughts and feelings. When faced with adversity, grant yourself permission to recognize the difficulty of your situation and to be honest with your feelings. Allow yourself to feel and be mournful. Not only will this provide you with distance and a sense of control, but it will also equip you with enough energy to take action towards a healthier emotional state.

Finding hope and developing resilience can often emerge from having permission to grieve the current moment. Acknowledging the emotional complexity of life leads to the understanding that a foundation of stability and peace lies within reach. It may not be an easy road to follow and the journey may not be visible at first - but, with courage, you can slowly make your way out of the fog of loneliness and depression.

We may face darkness, but know that we never have to walk through it alone. Let yourself be surrounded by supportive people and seek the kind of help and guidance so often denied to us in moments of high emotion. Learning to find balance between our negative and positive emotions can give us strength and control over our lives - and it starts with this one brave step forward.