Does depression make you feel lonely?

When you’re fighting depression, then as we hear from members of The Depression Project’s 3,000,000+ person social media community literally every single day, it is very, very common to feel lonely. In our observation, there are two main reasons for this:

Firstly, it’s extremely common for people with depression to feel lonely as a result of the people around them not understanding what they’re going through or being oblivious to it.

In particular, this is often because:

• Depression can be very difficult to put into words and explain to other people – especially when your symptoms are severely intense;
• Faking a smile and pretending to be OK is often considered more “socially acceptable” than saying how depressed you're really feeling;
• It's common for people who've never experienced depression before to not understand the illness properly, and to therefore make judgmental, frustrating, hurtful comments - such as, for example, “depression isn’t real”, “you just need to get over it”, “we all have bad days now and then", “you’re just being negative“, “it’s all in your head”, “stop feeling sorry for yourself”, etcetera.
  

Secondly, loneliness is closely linked to depression because it’s extremely common for depression to lead to social withdrawal and isolation.

This is often because, as we’re frequently told by members of The Depression Project’s community:

• Depression can rob you of your motivation and/or energy to leave your home;
• You may often feel too miserable to be able to fake a smile and pretend that everything is “fine”;
• You may find yourself feeling apathetic and numb, and therefore less willing and able to partake in activities that you once shared and enjoyed with others;
• Like we’ve mentioned, it can be extremely difficult to articulate how awful you’re feeling, and/or how to explain all of the debilitating ways that depression is affecting you – and as a result, you may prefer to isolate yourself and avoid talking to anyone;
• You may not want your loved ones to see you at your “worst”;
• You may feel the need to “protect” and to “shield” your loved ones from your pain so as not to make them worry;
• You may not want to “burden” anybody with your depression;
• You may feel unworthy of your friends’ and family members’ support;
• You may fear judgment – particularly if your depression has led you to do things you’re ashamed of (such as not showering, for instance);
• You may need time alone to rest and recover.

Consequently, because “depression loneliness” is prevalent for so many reasons, we’ve put together this cognitive behavioural therapy-based journal, in order to:

1. Firstly, help you cope with the negative thought “no-one understands me” – which is arguably the most common negative thought that fuels “depression loneliness”;
2. Secondly, we’re going to help you put your depression into words, and make it easier for you to explain what you’re going through to your friends and family members – in order to help you feel more understood-, connected to- and closer to your loved ones;
3. And, last but not least, we’re going to help you brainstorm what steps you may be able to take in order to have more social interactions, and feel significantly less lonely as a result.

FAQ #1: Why should I be confident this journal will help me?

This journal is grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy - which in case you don't know, is a leading form of treatment for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, personality disorders, and a wide range of other mental health issues.

Additionally, this journal is also written with the warmth, care, encouragement and insight that, with 3,000,000+ followers on social media, The Depression Project has become renowned for :)

FAQ #2: What format does this journal come in?

This journal comes in PDF Format - which you will be able to download instantly after purchase, and then print off at your home, office or local printer :)

FAQ #3: What if I give this journal a try but I don't like it?

We're extremely, extremely confident that you're going to find this journal immensely helpful. But, just in case you don't, you're protected by The Depression Project's 60 Day, No-Questions-Asked, 100% Moneyback Guarantee - to completely put your mind at ease.

If you have any questions about this journal, then please feel free to click here and contact us so that someone from our friendly team can answer them for you :)

Otherwise, we hope you choose to get this journal, because we know that you're going to find it really, really helpful!

All our love,

The Depression Project Team.