Feeling Alone with Your Mental Illness

Mental illness can make you feel like you're all alone, with no one to turn to for support. In this video, I share my experience navigating this feeling and some tips for what to do about it.

You are not alone.

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#schizophrenia #schizoaffective #schizoaffectivedisorder #mentalhealth #mentalillness #loneliness

[lilycat]

No close relationships here and it sucks

[marklowe]

I always prefer to be alone when I'm not feeling well. I'm currently struggling with depression and anxiety, and just want to run away and hide.

[cynthiawinn]

I'm very lonely and isolated as a 64 yr old widow with no children. I go to work and come home, eat, and go to bed. Just to get up and do the same thing day after day. I have no support. No one knows what I'm going through. I'm a Christian and often told, "You're never alone, God is always with you." People don't get it unless you're actually in it. I battle depression, I tried therapy, but it's very expensive. I tell my selfI have the victory in this!! I'm

[Kevin-efcc]

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia 25 years ago. And in that time I've learned to shift my perspectives. I traded paranoia and concluded that I was just precautionary I also traded loneliness for solitude. Learning to shift your perspective makes a huge difference.

[themorningmist]

The worst form of loneliness is when you're surrounded by people, friends, and family, but yet nobody can reach you. You talk and smile with them, yet you're so far from them. You hurt, and nobody can see your pain. You try to reach out, but because of the symptoms, you're pushed back. And so you sit there in the darkness while the world enjoys the light. All you can do is suffer in silence. That pain can be almost unbearable. Good video

[Zachy_Wacky]

I am so sorry for you and anyone else who has to feel alone during such a problematic time. I understand this feeling as I have Asperger's and Personality Disorders (one of which being Schizotypal Personality Disorder) which is quite similar to Schizophrenia but lacks psychotic symptoms and mostly impacts cognition. My condition has isolated me from many others as I am still young. I often come across as indifferent and unkind. My intentions are purely positive but stigma has made it difficult for me to reach out and seek help and support. You are loved and that no matter what mental illness you are suffering from, you aren't broken, you are simply different. Own your uniqueness and love yourself!!

[KBroadwater]

I don't think I've cried watching a video harder then just watching yours.
I'm in the grips of mental illness. That's why I came looking for videos to see if others have what I have or more importantly others who really know what I'm dealing with. Therapy helps, but when I'm home and have an episode it's rough, lonely, and since the pandemic only increased ten-fold.
Thanks for the video. 1st time viewer. Made me feel so not alone.

[-lloygic-]

Being neurodivergent, I've found that this channel's honest integrity has been validating. I too struggle with being heard and understood often, and it can be very isolating. Thanks for doing what you do!

[realstaceylee]

I think you are Canadian, right? I can’t help but wonder how different it is here in the US for all of the schizophrenic people who don’t have medical and psychological care or support and even end up on the streets😢😢😢, I know many end up in the legal system and there isn’t really long term therapy for them, I wish the attitude could change here about people’s needs for health and dignity ! Thank you ❤❤❤ as always for your work, it is sacred

[reinaldopereira]

I've been feeling very lonely lately. It's sad when people want to offer you support, but don't know how. It's even worse when we realize there isn't much they can actually do. It's good to know we're not completely alone, but sad to realize that loneliness will always be there in some way.

[elenakordonowy]

I am a nursing student who graduates this spring. Your videos are helping me to learn more about where some of my patients will be so that I can care for them better. Thank you!

[aleksandracatt]

Not just that it can feel lonely with this illness but also very hard because you’re different. I remember when I was child ( I was probably in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia, I got sick with 18 years old) around 7-8 years old, I remember seeing all kids in my classroom in school play and I wondered why can’t I be like them, I was very quiet and introverted. I also experienced being bullied for being different. So, not only did I feel alone but I also experienced bullying for being different, now I understand that I was ‘different’ because I was in prodromal phase of schizophrenia. I even was bullied by one teacher there for my ‘personality’.

[carolmussotter]

Besides feeling very alone in all of these feelings…when a friend or family member says, “ I’m here if you need me, ” I feel worse because I desperately WANT help but don’t know or can’t express what I need. I have no idea how to communicate what I’m going through and how I’m experiencing the world. Even keeping a journal and talking with my therapist is extremely challenging during these times.

[BasedRaven]

I have good friends, good mom, good support from professionals and so on. But sometimes I feel like I can't express 100% how I feel and that is something that kinda sucks.. It's not any ones fault though.

[rozashanina]

I love who you are as a human being, I know it doesn't mean anything from a YouTube comment from someone you don't even know but we're all there for you as much as possible! We all love you!

[donnafleetwood]

I recently was sent to a mental health hospital but they turned me away saying i had been there before and to go home and get counseling. It was very humiliating and I feel very alone without support.

[michellegillie]

Your videos are comforting to me. My son has been bounced around to three different facilities and just now in the past two weeks is getting the proper treatment. He still has psychosis bad and I’m so scared for him and I miss him so bad. Thank you for your videos. I hope whenever he comes home I can sit and watch them with him and pray it helps him also. 😢

[ctrawick]

Lauren - I don’t suffer with any type of mental illness, so I watch all of this from an outside, uneducated perspective.

I have to say, though, that you likely don’t begin to understand the blessing you are to others as you share your story with honesty and integrity.

Keep going and know that you make a difference. I wholeheartedly believe that.

[grahamhardie]

Loneliness is a bit of a pandemic in itself these days (a third of the UK’s population live alone). I wish you luck with your battle with loneliness. I am much luckier now since I got married 6 years ago as my wife has bipolar and we both keep each other company and share a similar background and understanding of our conditions which has for me been extremely liberating and blessing 👍

[ingram]

Ever since I moved to Canada my depression worsened 10 folds I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm originally from Morocco ( north Africa close to Spain ) where it's very sunny all year round I'm seeing a psychiatrist next week it could be just a vitamin D deficiency tho I'm not sure but damn life is hell....