It’s painful feeling lonely in a room full of people. COVID-19 highlights how painful it is to feel isolated in an enormous world.
As human beings, we need relationships. As a society, we denounce any desire for intimacy. We call it weak to say we need someone. From the media to corporate America. Everything promotes individualism while condemning collectivism.
According to a survey by Health Affairs, loneliness increased 20-30% in the first month of COVID-19. If you are experiencing loneliness, you are not alone.
You aren’t unreasonable or weak. You are simply experiencing what it means to be human.
I visited a science museum recently. There was an exhibit dedicated to different cultures around the world. Observing it, I realized a bond is an acknowledged exchange of energy between two people.
Whether negative or positive, these connections are essential to our existence. They are as important to our evolution and survival as opposable thumbs or canine teeth. Without relationships, we could not perceive reality. We couldn’t fully exist.
I struggled with isolation and its effects way before COVID. Ashamed, I hid it from everyone I knew. While I craved intimacy, hiding this need kept it further away from me. It was difficult for people to understand my behavior and connect with me.
One day, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Out with my mother, I broke down crying and everything came out. I bawled and she sat with me in my pain.
When I had calmed down enough, she wrapped an arm around me and said, “I thought I was the only one.”
I share this with you because you’re not alone. You are actually a part of a growing majority. COVID has brought us so much grief and fear. It has also brought to light how lonely a lot of us feel. On a global scale, we all know how it feels to be isolated from the world.
In that moment with my mother, I experienced a release. I accepted my sadness and someone that cared about me did too. We were actually able to connect in it and strengthen our relationship. I developed the courage to be more vulnerable in the world. I’ve received so much love and joy by doing so.
I know our situations are all different. Our experiences are too. But our need for companionship is universal. If you have been feeling sad and alone, at least know you’re not alone in that.
Today, I hope you take a chance to be vulnerable with someone you love. Or someone you don’t know very well. You may be surprised to learn of a family member, friend, or stranger that struggles as you do. You may find a connection in a shared need for what’s condemned.
I’m a Detroit-based writer who splits her time between commercial and creative writing. I am very fascinated with exploring the different philosophies and cultures of the world. Outside of my writing, I’m an avid adventurer, an advocate for mental and social wellness, and a proud cat mom of 2.
