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Isolated, lonely and hopeless

Alan4424
Community Member
Hi everyone. My life has been a disaster for a very long time since a least 2011. I've been extremely isolated and lonely for many years now. I've had friends but lost them all to drugs. For a time I purposely isolated myself for safety because I just wasn't meeting good people. I moved last year and have struggled to meet new people where I'm living. I attempted suicide in January but immediately called an ambulance. I have type one bipolar disorder and this past couple months I've been hypomanic relapsing a couple times and engaging in increasingly risky behavior. In the last week I was involved in two car accidents the second time I totalled my car. Luckily nobody was injured. I couldn't face telling my parents so was planning to have the car towed then go home and end it but realized I wasn't safe and called an ambulance on myself. Spent the night in hospital. Appointments tomorrow with my GP and Psychiatrist but know that loneliness and isolation are my biggest problem and I don't know what they can do to help me. Tired of having to go through life alone with no friends or relationships in my life



3 Replies 3

Sophie_M
Moderator
Moderator
Hi Alan4424,
  Welcome to our online communtiy! We're glad to have you join us. We are so sorry to hear that you've had such a difficult time lately. It sounds like you've been coping with so much and we are glad to hear that you have these appointments booked for tomorrow. It's tough feeling alone, we are so glad that you have reached out this evening to our friendly online community. We hope that being part of this community can bring you some comfort and help you to feel a little less alone.

It might be helpful to join a support group to try and build a social network in your area.​​​You can find information on support groups is available on the Black Dog Institute site here - https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/support-groups/

In addition to this, there are always counsellors available via phone for your most difficult moments. Some of these 24/7 services include:     Please feel free to keep us updated on your journey here, whenever you're feeling up to it. 

james1
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Alan4424,

I wanted to say welcome to you as well, and it is nice to meet you here.

It sounds like you've had quite a journey so far and I'm sad to hear that you feel really lonely and isolated. It is good to hear you have the appointments tomorrow, and I hope they go well.

Just in terms of meeting new people in this new area you now live in, I think Sophie_M's idea about a support group could be really useful. There's also a website called MeetUp where you could look into maybe some hobby groups that interest you and try to expand your social group that way. Are there any particular hobbies you enjoy or would like to try?

It's really hard being lonely and my heart goes out to you.

James

therising
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Alan4424

I find you to be amazing in regard to how far you've come. Let me elaborate...

In looking back at my 15 or so years in depression which I left behind some time ago, I am amazed by the incredible effort I made to raise myself through both a general lack of guidance and depressing circumstances. You face a monumental quest to come to know yourself under the circumstances. Give yourself credit.

You have come to raise yourself the know you are more than the world of drugs. You've come to raise yourself to know your life is worth fighting for, no matter how much you want this overwhelming challenge to end. You've come to raise yourself to choose isolation as opposed to choosing destructive relationships. You have faced the challenge of changing environments, of trying to ground yourself out of the highs that come with risk and you now face the challenge of asking 'Where to, from here?' Of course, you have also accepted the challenging of employing people to guide you, your GP and psyche. I believe you to be an incredible person, in search of your most natural self.

I can relate to your attempt, where you ended up calling an ambulance. For me, I called a friend who drove me to hospital. I think this was the moment where I discovered how much I wanted to live. I knew it would be tough to live my way out of depression yet I decided to accept the challenge. Depressing circumstances presented themselves to me between then and finally coming out but I remember the day where I decided I wanted to live and this is what got me through. My attempt was when I chose to live alone rather than in a depressing relationship. For me, the best thing I did was to move back in with someone. I knew I couldn't tolerate living on my own. Wondering if moving in with your parents would serve you well at this time where things are deeply challenging. I'm hoping they're the sort of folk to raise you and not bring you down.

I believe when it comes to who we naturally are, most of us get some inkling. We may have met our natural self in our younger years at some point, as the writer, the artist, the rescuer of animals, the volunteer (for a good cause), the freedom fighter (rebel), the natural sage and counselor to friends, the nature lover and the list goes on. When we begin to remember our self, such a process is sped up by finding those who share the same nature. Like attracts like. When we remember who we are, we know the circle of friends to begin looking for.

🙂