Loneliness awareness week 9-15th June
When people talk about loneliness it’s often associated with older people, however an estimated quarter of adults in the UK feel lonely at some time.
I often feel silly saying to others or even thinking that I am lonely. I am lucky enough to have a busy house that’s almost never quiet. I have someone who is always at the end of the phone to talk and listen to me rant for hours, a daily occurrence. But at times I do feel very lonely, I feel like friends and family don’t always understand the day to day strains having spicy family members puts on someone and the exhaustion of the daily battles . I often stop myself from fully offloading on other people as I feel it’s too much, and they will become board of listening to it. I attend groups with other parents of spicy children and this really helps me, relating to others in similar situations to yourself can help you feel like your not alone in the world. Your not the only person fighting to get the best support for your child or whoever you’re caring for.
Social media often gets a bad name for it’s self, yet it can help in this way. We live in an age where we all carry around devices, we can easily reach out to someone; this can be anonymous or a group of people that are going through the same things as us.
End loneliness
How can we help ourselves or help others?
If you feel someone you know may be lonely, perhaps a neighbour who lives alone or a family member you don’t see very often. A smile across the street or a quick telephone call can make a big difference to someones day.
Reaching out to friends, family, or going for a walk in a local area. Many GP surgeries will have contact information for local social meeting groups for people of differing ages and interests. There are many services local and national that people can reach out to at a time when feeling lonely or others that may feel the loneliness is getting on top of them.
Check your local council website
MIND, the mental health charity https://mind.org.uk
Age UK, support for older people https://ageuk.org.uk
Samaritans, some branches can be visited in person https://samaritans.org
Many services can be contacted via social media, or they will signpost you to the place.
Remember, it doesn’t cost a thing to be kind. You never know what other people are going through. Let’s help each other.
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