Loneliness among Young Adults – CBT Kenya

Have you ever felt all alone in the world? We all experience loneliness and it isn’t easy. When you’re going through a difficult time and feel there’s no one to turn to for support, it’s hard to know what to do. But those who are feeling isolated or alone should know there are always people who care about their wellbeing.

Loneliness is one of the most powerful experiences in human psychology. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. While everybody basically knows what it means to be lonely, it’s surprisingly hard to define it precisely. This is partly because our experience of loneliness tends to be so varied and individual-specific. What’s more, loneliness and the fear of loneliness are often powerful influences in our lives, frequently leading to poor decisions and self-sabotage.

Causes Of Loneliness

• Low Self-Esteem. When you think poorly of yourself, it easily generalizes to imagining that others will think poorly of you as well. This can then lead to a hesitance to meet or engage with others. In other words, if low self-esteem causes you to feel unworthy of other people’s time/attention, you can see how that might lead to quite a bit of loneliness and isolation.
• For example, if you were abused as a child, you might develop a lasting fear of people of the same gender as the person who abused you. This could lead to significant difficulties making connections and being around a large chunk of people.
• The trouble is, if you don’t know your values and have clarity about what they are exactly, it’s easy to end up around people with conflicting values—and as a result, you can end up feeling chronically lonely and disconnected.
• Because many people are essentially afraid of their own minds, they get into the habit of ignoring their own minds and staying distracted from their own thoughts and feelings. This often results in low self-awareness—and along with it, loneliness.

What Are the Effects of Loneliness?

• Social interactions. You’ll feel lonely if you aren’t interacting with enough people. This will cause you to withdraw, participate less and, therefore, feel lonelier for longer. Try to establish new connections by starting small. Grab a coffee with a good friend or call them up for a chat.
• Quality of life. It’s really hard to be happy when you’re lonely. You’ll feel empty and a range of other negative emotions, which affect your quality of life. You’re a social creature who needs to be around other people. The only way to improve your quality of life is to try and find a solution to your loneliness.
• Health. Loneliness affects your health. It has a negative impact on your immune system and increases your risk of things like heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression. Try to make sure you’re getting enough exercise, eating healthily and not consuming too much alcohol or other addictive substances.

Ways to Cope With Loneliness

• Keep Busy. Distract yourself from those feelings of loneliness and make a date with yourself. Do you have a hobby you’ve always wanted to take up or a home improvement project that’s been lingering on your to-do list? Take some time to invest in yourself and your interests and keep your mind occupied in the process.
• Practice Self-Care When you’re feeling lonely, be sure you’re doing what you can to take care of yourself in other ways. Self-care is always a good idea, but especially when you are feeling down. Eating nutritious food, exercising, and getting enough sleep will only make you feel better in the long run.
• Strengthen Existing Relationships. You probably already have people in your life that you could get to know better or connections with family that could be deepened. If so, why not call friends more often, go out with them more, and find other ways to enjoy your existing relationships and strengthen bonds?
• Join a Class or Club. Whether it’s an art class, exercise class, or book club, joining a class or a club automatically exposes you to a group of people who share at least one of your interests. Check your local library or community college as well as city parks and recreation departments to see what’s available.

Word From CBT Kenya

Loneliness can leave people feeling isolated and disconnected from others. It is a complex state of mind that can be caused by life changes, mental health conditions, poor self-esteem, and personality traits. Loneliness can also have serious health consequences including decreased mental wellness and physical problems.

CBT-Kenya (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Kenya) counseling center offers counseling and therapy sessions for persons from all walks of life. We focus on helping clients gain insight into themselves by going through a healing process. Our purpose is to help you to achieve your therapeutic and life goals, to improve the quality of your life and to help you to build strong relationships in your life. Get in touch or book an appointment on +254 739 935 333, +254 756 454 585 or info@cbtkenya.org.