ABOUT LONELINESS

Certain life experiences, situations and events can lead to loneliness and in some cases a deep sense of loss.  They include:

*Experiencing a bereavement

*Retirement 

*Changing jobs 

*Going through a relationship break-up

*Starting at College or University

*Experiencing mental health and/or physical problems

*Becoming a parent or parents with little family or friendly support

*Moving to a new area or country without family, friends or community networks

*Being a Carer for someone else

*Belonging to a minority group and living in an area where there are aren’t many people with a similar background

*Having insufficient money for social activities

*Experiencing discrimination and stigma because of disability, a long term health problem, your race, gender or sexual identity

*Experiencing sexual or physical abuse leading to difficulties in forming close relationships

*Pandemics such as COVID

*We may feel lonely at certain times of the year including religious holidays such as Christmas, Ramadan, Valentine’s Day and New Year. 

We fully understand that there can also be ‘covert loneliness’. This includes people who seek help complaining of difficulties that seem at first to have nothing to do with loneliness but when they begin to talk about their problems it becomes clear that they have developed a deep loneliness without realising it.