Or maybe you just feel like you’ve outgrown your friendship group, or that they’re starting to get into things that don’t really interest you.Īll of these things could be making you feel lonely and lost, and you might find it hard to connect with people around you. Maybe you’re going from primary school into high school. Maybe your parents are getting separated. Sometimes you might not even feel lonely for an obvious reason, and what you’re experiencing could always be connected to other things like depression or anxiety.īut it's true that a lot of people tend to feel lonely during big life events. Racism takes a lot of forms, all of them hurtful, so sometimes even a ‘minor’ or ‘casual’ act of racism can have big impacts on someone’s self-esteem. People who encounter racism say that being discriminated against can make them feel alone, and can make it harder for them to form real connections. These feelings can get even worse if people in public are unkind or rude, and facing daily discrimination can make loneliness even harder to bear. A range of disabilities can often make people feel as though there is no one around them that cares. Or it can lead to insomnia, which in turn can make you tired, irritable and lonely. Mental illness can make you anxious about seeing others, so you might spend more time indoors. A lot of mental illnesses like bipolar, anxiety and depression can all make people feel very lonely. Here are some of the major issues which can cause loneliness: Sometimes loneliness can be caused by something else going on in our lives. Disability, illness, racism and loneliness So just because you’re feeling lonely, it doesn’t mean that you are different or ‘weird’: in fact, it means that you have more in common with the people around you than you realise. Recent research from ReachOut has shown that one in five young people reported feeling lonely 'most of the time' or 'always'.

After all, a lot of your friends won’t know what it’s like to have a brother with Down’s syndrome, or a mother with bipolar, so being a carer can leave you feeling like you can’t really talk to people – let alone have them over for dinner or a sleepover. Being the primary carer for someone close to you who is sick or has a disability can often make you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.

In any case, feeling like you don’t fit can make the symptoms of loneliness even worse, and can mean it’s even more difficult to meet friends and feel connected. Maybe you have different interests to the people at your school. It can be tough feeling like you’re missing out on something. Whether it’s your friends all getting into relationships and dating, constantly seeing dating shows on TV, or feeling pressure from your extended family to bring someone home, it can feel like romantic relationships are at the front of everyone’s mind. Ever felt like even though all of your friends are one tap of a button away, you’re still not really connected to them? Don’t worry: this is a very common feeling.

Because loneliness is so common, it makes sense that there are also lots and lots of different reasons why people feel lonely.

Im so lonely