You hear a lot of people talk about the importance of not being lonely when you are alone, but what about when you do feel lonely when you are surrounded by people?

To be truthful with you, I think now is the first time I have felt truly lonely.

It has nothing to do with having people physically surround me, which I do every day, but rather the inside of my head telling me there is nowhere to turn.

I have always felt independent. I have been able to spend hours alone at a time without ever feeling lonely. Personally, I loved being alone. Unfortunately, I can no longer rely on myself like I could in the past, as my brain has turned against me.

Before being alone, I could feel secure with myself and the relationships with those around me. Now, even as I am surrounded by friends and family, my brain has convinced me we are no longer on the same team.

I feel as if we are on a completely different playing field, and sometimes I’m not even on the field at all.

No matter how many people are in the room, my brain is telling me no one cares or enjoys my presence. Because of this, it’s almost as if I feel so invisible. I truly believe I am.

It’s as if I am alone in a room full of people.

It can feel so hard to escape your mind when you are feeling this way. All you can think about is your loneliness. It’s hard, but it is escapable.

For me, it sometimes takes some reaching out to validate that I’m not alone. I can travel so far into my mind that it’s as if I am not even mentally present.

I need to step out of that mind zone and step into reality, and I have to start communicating with others. Something as easy as conversing with others can help me feel mindful, and I can remind myself that I am not alone and I am surrounded by others who do care about me.

It surely isn’t easy to get out of a funk such as this, but there are steps to feel better about your situations.

Mindfulness is a great way to ground yourself and clear your head. Sometimes what you need is to step out of your comfort zone; go the extra mile to feel included.

Our brains have scared us into thinking we aren’t wanted and thus often isolate ourselves, physically and mentally. So to retain our relationships, sometimes we do need to push ourselves.

In the end, we know it’s what’s best for ourselves.

Loneliness is a silent killer and it is very hard to deal with. It’s a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anybody.

I sincerely hope anybody who is suffering with this feeling can find the strength to move past it and live a happy, healthy life.