Am I Depressed Or Am I Just Lonely ?
LonelinessClarity App
To unwind whatever I feel, especially when I am down, I write. It helps me structure my thoughts, prioritize and solve problems I face at a particular point in time. Sometimes to measure how far I have come, I go back to pages where I wrote my dilemmas and compare my present situation with that time. It gives me clarity of what I have corrected in myself and how much more is left to be attended to. My diary entry from a few months ago read this-
“… There is an emptiness in my heart. I can physically feel it in my chest sometimes. There are times I feel like withdrawing from my surrounding completely and cocooning myself in a shell. I feel like sharing my thoughts and emotions with someone but I am never able to break the walls of hesitation. It is lonely- this feeling! I am feeling so much, so deeply yet have no one to share it with… or maybe because I have no one special in my life to share my feeling with, I single-handedly over-feel and overthink, suffering more intensely than I should...”
Reading this, I was transported to my mental state of the time. I was going through a major setback in my academics and hardly felt anything good about anything in life. At the point when I had written these words, (one night after a crying session alone) I was confused as to what was happening to me. There was a restlessness in life to not only come out of the state but also to fully understand whether I was lonely or was I depressed.
Mental health problems, because they cannot be tested or quantified as directly as other physical health problems are a confusing journey altogether. Some mental health issues like depression, anxiety, insomnia, loneliness, etc. overlap with each other. What is the root cause of what, or what exactly is the condition one is facing is something a specialist can best detect.
Both depression and loneliness are accompanied by irritability and restlessness, a clouded mind, self-esteem issues, alterations in appetite or sleep schedules, aches and pains, and tiredness. However, the main difference between depression and loneliness is that the former is a mental health issue, whilst the latter is a sweeping emotion related to your need for belonging and connection. Loneliness tends to drag you down just as much as depression does but is still mostly a momentary emotional wellness condition. If your needs for companionship or belongingness feel met then loneliness diminishes or disappears.
The urge for connection isn't the only factor in depression, though. Depression symptoms can last for years without treatment from a qualified mental health practitioner and deteriorate into more serious conditions. Additionally, while the social connection may momentarily divert you if you suffer from depression, it won't always be beneficial. You could still feel drained, empty, and unable to interact even when you're with your partner or closest friend.
The harsh cycle of loneliness and sadness continues for most people if not addressed. It is also true that loneliness can trigger depressive symptoms. Conversely, being sad might make us withdraw from people, which makes us feel even more lonely. We experience more depression because we believe we are alone and have no one to turn to. We start hunting for explanations since we're feeling isolated and perhaps a bit vulnerable. It's possible that we're not constantly sad and lonely at the same moment. However, the two may easily feed off of one another in a loop.
Through my patterns, I learned I was feeling lonely in my struggles and needed like-minded people to share my academic concerns. Also, I needed to feel that I am not the only one confused about career goals and I must not panic. I compared myself too much with others and kept feeling like a failure. Then, I found support from my parents, and by talking and working towards my goals day by day, I removed the stress off me and conquered my loneliness. I distracted myself from the feeling of the void by working and healthy socializing. However, if I was depressed, merely these things wouldn’t have helped. For depression, an expert is needed to diagnose and treat it like any other illness. It is suggested to always be alert to how you are feeling and share it with people who may help to come out of the issue, however deep.
The Clarity App offers resources and support for individuals who may be experiencing loneliness as a result of their mental health challenges. The app provides a range of features that can help individuals connect with others and reduce feeling of isolation. Clarity offers a community forum where users can connect with other listeners who experienced similar mental health challenges.
Am I Depressed Or Am I Just Lonely ?
Loneliness
To unwind whatever I feel, especially when I am down, I write. It helps me structure my thoughts, prioritize and solve problems I face at a particular point in time. Sometimes to measure how far I have come, I go back to pages where I wrote my dilemmas and compare my present situation with that time. It gives me clarity of what I have corrected in myself and how much more is left to be attended to. My diary entry from a few months ago read this-
“… There is an emptiness in my heart. I can physically feel it in my chest sometimes. There are times I feel like withdrawing from my surrounding completely and cocooning myself in a shell. I feel like sharing my thoughts and emotions with someone but I am never able to break the walls of hesitation. It is lonely- this feeling! I am feeling so much, so deeply yet have no one to share it with… or maybe because I have no one special in my life to share my feeling with, I single-handedly over-feel and overthink, suffering more intensely than I should...”
Reading this, I was transported to my mental state of the time. I was going through a major setback in my academics and hardly felt anything good about anything in life. At the point when I had written these words, (one night after a crying session alone) I was confused as to what was happening to me. There was a restlessness in life to not only come out of the state but also to fully understand whether I was lonely or was I depressed.
Mental health problems, because they cannot be tested or quantified as directly as other physical health problems are a confusing journey altogether. Some mental health issues like depression, anxiety, insomnia, loneliness, etc. overlap with each other. What is the root cause of what, or what exactly is the condition one is facing is something a specialist can best detect.
Both depression and loneliness are accompanied by irritability and restlessness, a clouded mind, self-esteem issues, alterations in appetite or sleep schedules, aches and pains, and tiredness. However, the main difference between depression and loneliness is that the former is a mental health issue, whilst the latter is a sweeping emotion related to your need for belonging and connection. Loneliness tends to drag you down just as much as depression does but is still mostly a momentary emotional wellness condition. If your needs for companionship or belongingness feel met then loneliness diminishes or disappears.
The urge for connection isn't the only factor in depression, though. Depression symptoms can last for years without treatment from a qualified mental health practitioner and deteriorate into more serious conditions. Additionally, while the social connection may momentarily divert you if you suffer from depression, it won't always be beneficial. You could still feel drained, empty, and unable to interact even when you're with your partner or closest friend.
The harsh cycle of loneliness and sadness continues for most people if not addressed. It is also true that loneliness can trigger depressive symptoms. Conversely, being sad might make us withdraw from people, which makes us feel even more lonely. We experience more depression because we believe we are alone and have no one to turn to. We start hunting for explanations since we're feeling isolated and perhaps a bit vulnerable. It's possible that we're not constantly sad and lonely at the same moment. However, the two may easily feed off of one another in a loop.
Through my patterns, I learned I was feeling lonely in my struggles and needed like-minded people to share my academic concerns. Also, I needed to feel that I am not the only one confused about career goals and I must not panic. I compared myself too much with others and kept feeling like a failure. Then, I found support from my parents, and by talking and working towards my goals day by day, I removed the stress off me and conquered my loneliness. I distracted myself from the feeling of the void by working and healthy socializing. However, if I was depressed, merely these things wouldn’t have helped. For depression, an expert is needed to diagnose and treat it like any other illness. It is suggested to always be alert to how you are feeling and share it with people who may help to come out of the issue, however deep.
The Clarity App offers resources and support for individuals who may be experiencing loneliness as a result of their mental health challenges. The app provides a range of features that can help individuals connect with others and reduce feeling of isolation. Clarity offers a community forum where users can connect with other listeners who experienced similar mental health challenges.
