Loneliness is one more aspect of our being fallen creatures, alienated from God by our sin. But God's son, Jesus, lived the perfect life we could not live, and died to atone for our sins. Believe in him, and God will indwell you. I'm not saying that you will never be lonely again, just as I would never say you won't be sick, or unemployed, or a victim of some sort. But with God indwelling you, that existential ache will have disappeared. And if, as Christians should, you throw in your lot with other Christians by gathering with them, you will find friends. But above all, your identity in Christ will have given you a stability, an assurance, a peace, a confidence in God, who eventually will deliver us who trust in Christ from all of the effects of our natural corruptness.
You could try 'Kind Words' on Steam. It's an easy way to reach out to others or vent, and there are good people there offering support and advice. You're in a rut right now but you can find your way out of it in time.
A couple replies want you to find Jesus for help. I think it's misleading to frame everything in terms of faith, so I won't tell you that. But if you are religious, your local church and its community may be a tremendous resource. Please don't put it off if you think it might be an option for you!
Just wait till you hit your 30's and it becomes nearly impossible to connect with anyone on a deeper level. In fact, it feels dangerous to let your guard down.
OmegaLord my daughter is mid thirties ..at a time I’d wished she had someone to share and connect with and she never lets her guard down .. ever. It makes me weep with such pain to see her this way...
The quote, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895) comes to mind. Adults needed, but most olders are too into themselves to care about the young imo. Two tricks I use to survive the madness, smile, it releases endorphins, natural feel good medicine :) Second I remind myself traumatized people traumatize people- empathy and compassion block the bully behavior from taking root. Sending virtual hugs to all the lonely people
Ministry of mental health would do one of two things: teach them how to belong in this society or put them away as a disease. And how do you know the society is sane?
A. We are encourage to distrust each other by our media. B. We are encouraged to have unreasonable expectations of each other by the media. C. We are discouraged to dislike each other by our increasingly polarizing politics. D. We are encouraged to spend our time with our personal electronics instead of interaction with other people.
C. We are encouraged* to dislike each other by increasingly polarized politics. Media promotes divisions. Creates an "us" & "them" "Those Evil Conservatives" "Those Evil Liberals". Instead of seeing people as people first & foremost. Most people now won't even date across the aisle, let alone bother to have a conversation with "the other side". But in the end, we're all just people. Same basic needs. Same core desires for love & acceptance.
Me too! I will never understand how people can be so passive when someone is needing help, or just consolation. It’s almost like a herd mentality. They see no one else is doing anything, so they go along? I am the opposite of that.
This is gut wrenching to listen to these young one literally shriveling up from loneliness. I heard our spines shrink if we are without touch. I can imagine that it’s this way everywhere in our world there’s loneliness but it seems now more than ever. Thankyou for drawing attention to this Pandemic of loneliness. I will make it a point to fight my feelings that come from being older and alone.. it’s far more dreadful to be at the Bloom of ones life and feel absolutely without the comfort of company and touch in ones life.
The film maker chose to focus on the voices of young people and what they were saying, rather than documenting the work of the ministry. You are getting a window view, rather than a comprehensive documentary. I think this works very well.
It's sad to think that in a time when we are more hyper-connected than ever, people are actually experiencing loneliness more than ever before. Loneliness is the by-product of social media
It just seems impossible to find genuine friends these days. If you are kindhearted and helpful, people use you and then disappear when convenient. Go to social events and people are superficial and everyone is flakey. Honestly the only thing that works is to embrace solitude and learn to enjoy it, since that's one thing you can actually count on.
@@kobusdemouge7805 I was going to refute that statement, but then I thought about it. Do we really know the answer? I have that diagnosis, and used to feel lonely at times, but it did not and does not cause the symptoms unless there is some cognitive narrative around the reason for the loneliness. In my teens and twenties, I was often very lonely, but wasn't depressed, just sad at times. Interesting distinctions.
@@tanyajuli4145 Fair. Perhaps it's a vicious circle: sadness leads to isolation which leads to more sadness which leads to loneliness which leads to depression, etc. Although I agree with you that there need to be more factors at play in order to develop actual depression.
@@kobusdemouge7805 It's kind of like alcohol and depression. They feed off one another. At best you probably have to approach that question on a case to case basis. Individualized mental health care will produce better outcomes than a one size fits all treatment method.
I think especially old people feel lonely since the breakdown of the traditional family, they're completely forgotten and ignored. For young people it will feel more urgent though, no doubt. Sign of the times.
I'm a 29-year old man from India and I suffer from this damning illness. Unlike in western countries, there is no social understanding or acknowledgement of this problem. And the problem itself also exists in urban society which is more westernised that suburban and rural India. So with only a few people knowing about this its even more difficult to get help for this problem. It's indeed very difficult to be lonely and just watch others party and travel and do all sorts of things together and show it off on Facebook and Instagram.
People need to take their alone time and do their inner healing and learn to love themselves. Loneliness happens when a person feels empty inside. The difference between being alone and FEELING lonely is the feeling of disconnect and inner emptiness and that's something that you have to fill from within. It's not another person's responsibility to make you feel full inside, it's yours.
I have been phased out of my friends group because of an argument I’ve had with the one of them. They didn’t accept any of my attempts to patch things up. They made so many mistakes and each time they made it up to me I’ve forgiven because you know, we’re friends and that’s what friends do. But during lockdown I’ve found my self all alone. I never found people with whom I connected at a deeper level or with whom I’ve got history or something. Three years later I feel the same, it’s like I’m not here anymore. I’ve lost all will to thrive, because I feel like there’s no one I can tell about what I do.
I have a friend , she's mostly busy but whenever we chat it feels good for some time that's currently the only thing which makes me happy. Lonliness is pandemic and it triggers wierd thoughts. Please approach and chat with people in your contacts. You never know they might be feeling the same but think that they're the only one with this problem. Take care guys. Speak up and listen when some one opens up. You're not alone.
People are having progressively smaller and smaller families. People in places like Africa and Latin America have large extended families and are never alone. I am from Mexico and here in the U.S. I am extremely lonely but I have 20 uncles and aunts and about 54 cousins. I am never lonely back home. They even got me a girlfriend. If you don't want your kids to grow up lonely, get them brothers and cousins.
I just wanted to get this off my chest. I am about to graduate University this year and I have a good group of people that I can really call friends. But I feel the loneliness starting to creep in when I graduate and start working full time. This feeling of anticipation is so strong and terrifying yet also weirdly comfortable. When I'm with people I see everyday like coworkers and casual friends, i always want to bring the conversation deeper and make some stronger connections but it seems so weird for some. When I get stuck alone for a while (both before and during covid) I have emotions that fluctuate so strongly and heavily between anger, delusions of grandeur, sadness, and crazy euphoria. It worries me that the rest of my life might be just working in cities with no friends and pursuing my hobbies with no one to share them with. Anyways, for some reason I keep coming back to his video over and over again. I don't know why I have such a strong connection to the emotional stories that random people have to say. I have no clue if anyone is going to read this but I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
@!? Hey, wow I am surprised I got a response on this comment! It does feel oddly good to know that someone read my emotional block of words ahaha! (Sorry longggg post ahead:) So right now, I am doing really well. The last year has no doubt been a crazy roller coaster though. This original comment was written during what I would have considered the peak of my loneliness during final year of university, where everything was online and I was finding it hard to socialize around studying and the various restrictions at the time. I ended up getting my degree and all that jazz, although it felt very hollow and I felt really disillusioned with the whole thing by the end of it. That summer following graduation, I decided to take a break from life and had a mostly good time. Spent almost all of my time biking and doing art ~ although by the end of it I was itching to work and make some money. Jump to a couple months after job searching from the end of summer until mid Autumn, and I managed to land myself a super sweet job. This was the kind of job that quite frankly I could have only dreamed of, and surprisingly led me to feeling the strongest sense of imposter's syndrome ever. I was pretty much just waiting for them to call me up one day and tell me I'm not the fit they thought I was lol. During the dead of winter, work became heavily work from home, and I spiralled again into a notable depression that fluctuated week to week. This sadness kindof culminated into the beginning of spring where I realized I wanted/needed to get out of this spiral, and over the last few months I've somewhat quickly pulled myself out of it all, and really just started doing the kind of stuff I've always wanted to do (skateboarding, biking, art, and hanging out with friends much more often). Even though I work full time, I cannot stand the idea of wasting my time, so try my best to use all of the ~4-5 hours of free time I have (mostly) every day for doing all the things I've wanted to do. The best analogy I can give is like trying to land a somewhat difficult skateboard trick like say a treflip - where the kick/pop up was graduation, the last year has been the board spinning through the air, and this spring has been that perfect stuck landing with a little flair to it. To be fair though, not everything in my life is great. My rented room right now is pretty rough as the city is expensive where I am living, and I still have my gray days here and there. But I've learned to appreciate what I have and its about as much as I could ever ask for :) I feel more confident than I have ever in my life, and a lot of it had to do with just learning to let things go and appreciating what I already have. If you or anyone is looking for advice of any form, I would say find your own joy. Most of the joy in my life really does come from the little things. Some of the things that thrill me would probably bore you and vice versa! Social media has also wreaked havoc on my life in the past, and I find it to be no good for the vast majority of people as well. Humility, and appreciation have served me wonders. All that being said, I still love this video. The lows will most definitely return, and its comforting to know very little of what I'm going through during the trips to the lowest of lows are foreign to most people. I hope you are doing well yourself, and if you'd like to drop a line on where you are finding yourself in the journey of life, I'd be down to listen :) Godspeed, Em
In Berlin, a city of 3.5 million, there are 300 unnoticed deaths per year, usually elderly people without relatives. It is either the smell, or the full mailbox, that force neighbors to call the police. Or it's the barkeep at the place where they used to go, who noticed their absence and called.
I think that with the rise of social media and the time dedicated to our digital lives, we are spending less time in our communities as communities that live together and support each other as neighbors. We have fewer people in our lives on a daily basis comparatively with generations past. I think this loss of community is fueling a profound feeling across our society that we are alone.
Have you ever considered that other people may not think you're that great? We're all fallen human creatures, lost until we come to rest in the son of God, Jesus Christ. In any event, don't be contemptuous of others. They may have torments you can't imagine.
If I had grown up with social media, I would have been so much more lost than I was as a youth. My pain was more than enough then, but I had the sanctity of a private interior. My heart aches for the vulnerable. As addendum, I've developed agraphobia, and it is worse than ever. I've simply fallen into it w/o resistance. Social media, youtube, reddit, etc, help me pass the time and stay current. There is value there, but I've let it enable my isolation. Certain venues are poison, tho, like one man said. Instagram with the visuals. I don't do facebook. That is soul death to me.
Also, bullying must be way worse now. It doesn't stop as you leave a location, and ignoring social media (missing out what your peers are up to) poses a risk in itself.
So many people don't have a thing they pursue that will make them less concerned about their solitude and consequently enjoying themselves from a self observed perspective. . Often times it is the hobby, pass time, frequented places...etc. that will garner the casual banter that leads to introductions. Younger people don't know how to assert a friendship - they just happen incidentally. But as adulthood and regular daily grinds isolate us; knowing how to strike up a friendship intentionally is a lost skill.
So people call in to this number to share private thoughts as an outlet and deal with personal pain/issues, and the Minister of Loneliness puts these thoughts out on youtube? I'm sure someone can be identified based on their voice and detailed descriptions of events.
Very moving... In the current situation of social-distancing and self-isolation, this video gets few more perspectives and becomes even more meaningful. A lot of people were already disconnected, feeling lonely. What will happen to them in this required isolation? How to cope with the situation in general and how to create a proper connection while keeping the distance?
The UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education. They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
I live in an apartment block. I make it a point to speak to everyone that gets in the lift when I’m in it. I smile at people in the street. I make small talk and connect with people wherever I go. I don’t care if they respond or not, but nearly everyone does. People are lonely. We need more connection. I was very lonely while growing up and we didn’t even have internet then so it must be much worse now for young people. We have dozens of virtual friends but no one to mind the cat if we go away for a couple of days. Wishing everyone all the best. Love to all of you. ❤❤
God gave me the grace to get out of my room and go to my church group to meet people............ and instead of being desperate (even though I was) I went there to 'be a friend' for others.... to serve them, that way if the friendships didn't happen, at least I was loving to someone else and the disappointment wasn 't there cause I didn't make it all about me.
People think they're supposed to be happy all the time, and think there's something wrong with themselves when they're not. Life can be filled with loneliness, grief, anger, pain, boredom, feelings of purposelessness. But you learn to deal with those feelings, keep busy, reach out to others, and ask for help if you need it.
I can hear and feel the pain in their voices, I wish I had something to give them, some kind of hope. I want to be able to tell them all, "this too shall pass", but it's not true all the time, it's not true for everyone. Each person will have to work out the best answer for themselves. In the last year and a half or so I've purposely removed myself from all relationships but two. These two people have chosen to stay with me despite my mental illness. I don't think I can force myself to live much longer and I don't think it's fair to people to leave them with that kind of pain. It's lonely, but I've been that most of my life even with people around me, I'm used to it. Loneliness is not the most difficult problem, (my perspective). But I do realize it can be/is for others, and I know that it can/will exacerbate other problems. We all seem to agree that social networks/the internet has added to or even increased the problem of loneliness, (among the other problems it has caused), but no one has offered a solution. I believe this is an international problem, UK has opened it up, (Thank you!), but loneliness like this is worldwide. Are there solutions to this seeming epidemic of loneliness? What can we do as a world? What can we do as a nation? What can we do as a state? What can we do as a city, town, or village? What can I do? What can I do for myself as the lonely individual?
the key to a happy life is being comfortable and content with yourself once you do that, everything else in life just kind of falls into place naturally
One suggestion is to join some group where you work together towards something. Could be a community gardening group, an animal welfare volunteer group, a religious or meditation group. Something that matches one's interests. Another idea is to spend some time focusing on Inner Life, whether spirituality or self development. Work on identity, emotional boundaries, on healing any codependency and capacity for true intimacy and connection. Work on self love, basically. Quality of connection. But meditations and spiritual pursuits, like immersing yourself in nature, drawing, playing music... Even attending a church. ...All of this builds an Inner Life whereby you feel connection to God or whatever it is. To me, this is the opposite of loneliness. Also, even just one close friend makes a big difference.
If you quit porn and social media and really cut down on tech us, you will seek pleasure from real interactions and your conversations will really improve after just a week. Trust me. I have gone more than a week without leaving the house on many occasions. I have no friends at the moment, but have been having some great conversations with people ive never met. I used to have a social life when i was 14 and below, but I got an ipad for christmas in 2011 and became addicted and my personality went out of the window, but I'm just getting it back now.
This is not entirely wrong. My life is not going well right now as I've been unemployed for some time. But removing my smartphone from my life has strengthened many of my friendships purely because I have to call friends and hang out with them in person much more.
Many people today have no purpose, and the communities/friendships/choices they make in life are just quick short satisfying pleasures that don't last.......... I was near depression and lonliness simply because I was on the computer all the time and didn't focus on Jesus my God, only when I started focusing on him and begging him to give me the grace to get out there and make friends, did I start putting effort into improving myself and becoming more virtuous, I also tried serving others with kindness, because if I let my desperation show, it might scare people off, if you look for friends never force yourself onto them, be there for someone first, because if you put all the pressure on yourself, you're just gonna get frustrated and give up.
@Kelp Farming how does that make any sense. I can explain why capitalism makes it worse but how does inviting MORE people into your country make people more lonely?? silly
he UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education. They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
I used to ring the samanratines all the time everyday now iv joined a church im a chritian im happy i still have days were i feel alone but i think about the old me iv left facebook don't miss it..its toxic this is so sad that theres alot of LONELY PEOPLE OUT THERE YOUNG AND OLD i suffer from mental health i run everyday to keep myself motivated
We've built a society that's so against our own human nature. Where are members of a communal species supposed to go to, in a society that emphasizes individualism, competition, and production to generate wealth for someone else?
Government can open churches or community centres for lonely people, empty shops one for families,one for lonely adult people,have tea and socialising.
It's best to be lonely than have the people you don't like,not everyone has time for anyone, it's sad some people can be so cruel. Some people enjoys you being lonely. So please try and enjoy being on your own company if you can. Learn to enjoy. Do things by yourself if you can ❤
This is what happens when we’ve come to the stage of a hyper-capitalistic cyberpunk-esque society where the booming of profit and economic growth has come at the cost of individual human connection and well being 🧐
Hyperion that’s an extremely simplified and naive view lol, and no, I just told you that countries not facing mass immigration and that are conservative are still facing the same problem
Hyperion it is though. Coming from a country and region that’s been capitalistic, colonized, and patriarchal for decades. it is. People from western countries are sheltered and weak so they become easily delusional and hysterical at the tiniest things like some college kids being overzealous “Marxists”. Reality is different
Hyperion and what do you think caused the refugee crisis in the first place? Imperialism. And what drives imperialism? Resources. And what system is the system that has a constant need for expansion of resources? Capitalism. War is purely for war profiteers
Actually, I have. In fact, I make it a point to do so. My opening line is some kind of hybrid of "are you ok?" and "would you like to talk?" The majority of these people don't refuse, and even those who do thank me for asking. My philosophy is I (and they) have nothing to lose if I reach out. And sometimes it makes a tremendous difference.
if anyone needs to chat, im here for you. Been to the edge myself, I understand how you feel. please, please drop me a message and let me know how your doing x
the UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education. They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
Im not denying what's hapoening, but let's just take into account the possibility that some of the people can be narcissistic on an extreme level and that's why they feel lonely. It's an issue of itself if course, but there are some people who are lonely because their whole family and friends are gone, while narcissists have friends, family and attention and yet its never enough for them. And again I'm noy saying that these callers are narcissistic. I'm just saying there's a way where two can be confused
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SO LONELY THAT YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE IN THIS WORLD? HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO PLAY WITH SOMEONE SO MUCH YOU'D TAKE ANYONE BOY OR GIRL?.
What loneliness i.m.h.o. seems to come down to is a question: What do you expect in, or from, other people? To which I would counter: Could they think likewise? I could be wrong though. But I do care.
The Atlantic is really killing it with their videos lately. This was so emotional and well produced.
I love my solitude but I also understand how important it is to have real human relationships. Hope these people find the comfort they seek for
Comfort in Jesus first, seek Him!
@@sabah4123 fuck
Only 23 and I'm so lonely. Beginning to believe that I don't deserve connection, that I was made to be alone
Not true. Don’t believe the lies. You were made for connection and relationship. You are not alone. Talk to someone. Let them know how you feel.
Loneliness is one more aspect of our being fallen creatures, alienated from God by our sin. But God's son, Jesus, lived the perfect life we could not live, and died to atone for our sins. Believe in him, and God will indwell you. I'm not saying that you will never be lonely again, just as I would never say you won't be sick, or unemployed, or a victim of some sort. But with God indwelling you, that existential ache will have disappeared. And if, as Christians should, you throw in your lot with other Christians by gathering with them, you will find friends.
But above all, your identity in Christ will have given you a stability, an assurance, a peace, a confidence in God, who eventually will deliver us who trust in Christ from all of the effects of our natural corruptness.
You do.
You just have none.
That's not your fault.
You could try 'Kind Words' on Steam. It's an easy way to reach out to others or vent, and there are good people there offering support and advice. You're in a rut right now but you can find your way out of it in time.
A couple replies want you to find Jesus for help.
I think it's misleading to frame everything in terms of faith, so I won't tell you that.
But if you are religious, your local church and its community may be a tremendous resource.
Please don't put it off if you think it might be an option for you!
Just wait till you hit your 30's and it becomes nearly impossible to connect with anyone on a deeper level. In fact, it feels dangerous to let your guard down.
5 years till then for me but people let me down so often it feels like I might as well put my guard up early
How about joining proffesional networking forums like Rotary,Toastmasters etc...
OmegaLord my daughter is mid thirties ..at a time I’d wished she had someone to share and connect with and she never lets her guard down .. ever. It makes me weep with such pain to see her this way...
OmegaLord I am 63, that is exactly how I feel.
60s
The quote, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895) comes to mind. Adults needed, but most olders are too into themselves to care about the young imo. Two tricks I use to survive the madness, smile, it releases endorphins, natural feel good medicine :) Second I remind myself traumatized people traumatize people- empathy and compassion block the bully behavior from taking root. Sending virtual hugs to all the lonely people
mybe what we really need is ministry of mental health?
♥️
Sounds like itd be more useful.
So we are not supposed to fuck people who are friends? I guess I been doing it wrong for 49 years.
Ministry of mental health would do one of two things: teach them how to belong in this society or put them away as a disease. And how do you know the society is sane?
No no, we need more feminism to make loneliness great again.
A. We are encourage to distrust each other by our media.
B. We are encouraged to have unreasonable expectations of each other by the media.
C. We are discouraged to dislike each other by our increasingly polarizing politics.
D. We are encouraged to spend our time with our personal electronics instead of interaction with other people.
you need to have something in common . blaming others is stupid.
Correct 100%
C. We are encouraged* to dislike each other by increasingly polarized politics. Media promotes divisions. Creates an "us" & "them"
"Those Evil Conservatives" "Those Evil Liberals". Instead of seeing people as people first & foremost. Most people now won't even date across the aisle, let alone bother to have a conversation with "the other side". But in the end, we're all just people. Same basic needs. Same core desires for love & acceptance.
Someone is purposely pushing everyone towards individualism, easier to control this way.
To the girl that was by the tube sobbing feeling isolated; I would’ve- I would’ve talked to you... 😢 Sending you an air hug where-ever you are!! 💫
Me too! I will never understand how people can be so passive when someone is needing help, or just consolation. It’s almost like a herd mentality. They see no one else is doing anything, so they go along? I am the opposite of that.
Northern Sunshine that was heartbreaking. I would hope I would reach out to her. Honestly, when I see others cry, I always cry, too.
This is gut wrenching to listen to these young one literally shriveling up from loneliness. I heard our spines shrink if we are without touch. I can imagine that it’s this way everywhere in our world there’s loneliness but it seems now more than ever. Thankyou for drawing attention to this Pandemic of loneliness. I will make it a point to fight my feelings that come from being older and alone.. it’s far more dreadful to be at the Bloom of ones life and feel absolutely without the comfort of company and touch in ones life.
Loneliness isn't a disease
Does the Ministry actually help anyone, or is it just a number no-one answers that you can vent to?
The film maker chose to focus on the voices of young people and what they were saying, rather than documenting the work of the ministry. You are getting a window view, rather than a comprehensive documentary. I think this works very well.
They broadcast the recordings live on a nightly TV show and commentators make fun of the people. British humour is DARK.
it cant be fixed... the problems lie in how our society is constructed. In order to fix it we need to fundamentally change the way we live.
A reminder to reach out and be generous to others, even if it’s just “how has your day been?”
It's sad to think that in a time when we are more hyper-connected than ever, people are actually experiencing loneliness more than ever before. Loneliness is the by-product of social media
And it's a good thing
"Lost Connection" by Johann Harri is a great book about that topic.
I wish I could meet these people. They sound like genuine people.
It just seems impossible to find genuine friends these days. If you are kindhearted and helpful, people use you and then disappear when convenient. Go to social events and people are superficial and everyone is flakey.
Honestly the only thing that works is to embrace solitude and learn to enjoy it, since that's one thing you can actually count on.
Is "loneliness" code for depression I wonder? Sounds like a lot of folks are suffering depression and loneliness is but a symptom.
It's more likely to be the other way around: loneliness as a cause for major depressive disorder.
@@kobusdemouge7805 I was going to refute that statement, but then I thought about it. Do we really know the answer? I have that diagnosis, and used to feel lonely at times, but it did not and does not cause the symptoms unless there is some cognitive narrative around the reason for the loneliness.
In my teens and twenties, I was often very lonely, but wasn't depressed, just sad at times. Interesting distinctions.
@@tanyajuli4145 Fair. Perhaps it's a vicious circle: sadness leads to isolation which leads to more sadness which leads to loneliness which leads to depression, etc. Although I agree with you that there need to be more factors at play in order to develop actual depression.
@@kobusdemouge7805 It's kind of like alcohol and depression. They feed off one another. At best you probably have to approach that question on a case to case basis. Individualized mental health care will produce better outcomes than a one size fits all treatment method.
It’s a chicken/egg situation. Loneliness and depression often go hand in hand.
I think especially old people feel lonely since the breakdown of the traditional family, they're completely forgotten and ignored. For young people it will feel more urgent though, no doubt. Sign of the times.
Connecting old and young people would be such a great solution - I would love for lonely teenagers to help the older folks in the community in homes
Well-done Atlantic and the contributors of this documentary! Great work!
I'm a 29-year old man from India and I suffer from this damning illness. Unlike in western countries, there is no social understanding or acknowledgement of this problem. And the problem itself also exists in urban society which is more westernised that suburban and rural India. So with only a few people knowing about this its even more difficult to get help for this problem. It's indeed very difficult to be lonely and just watch others party and travel and do all sorts of things together and show it off on Facebook and Instagram.
Loneliness is not a disease
People need to take their alone time and do their inner healing and learn to love themselves. Loneliness happens when a person feels empty inside. The difference between being alone and FEELING lonely is the feeling of disconnect and inner emptiness and that's something that you have to fill from within. It's not another person's responsibility to make you feel full inside, it's yours.
But even when you do "feel full inside", don't you want to share that fullness with someone else? That makes it twice as good!
Profound sign of the times. We are social creatures in need of touch.
I have been phased out of my friends group because of an argument I’ve had with the one of them. They didn’t accept any of my attempts to patch things up. They made so many mistakes and each time they made it up to me I’ve forgiven because you know, we’re friends and that’s what friends do. But during lockdown I’ve found my self all alone. I never found people with whom I connected at a deeper level or with whom I’ve got history or something. Three years later I feel the same, it’s like I’m not here anymore. I’ve lost all will to thrive, because I feel like there’s no one I can tell about what I do.
Hi, I lost all my friends , I relate to everything u said here
Please know you are not alone in how u feel, it will get better- it always does
I have a friend , she's mostly busy but whenever we chat it feels good for some time that's currently the only thing which makes me happy. Lonliness is pandemic and it triggers wierd thoughts.
Please approach and chat with people in your contacts. You never know they might be feeling the same but think that they're the only one with this problem.
Take care guys. Speak up and listen when some one opens up.
You're not alone.
beautiful and haunted, the echos and glimmers reverberate and combine to remind me of Burial.
Ah, yes, they combine to evoke Burial.
People are having progressively smaller and smaller families. People in places like Africa and Latin America have large extended families and are never alone. I am from Mexico and here in the U.S. I am extremely lonely but I have 20 uncles and aunts and about 54 cousins. I am never lonely back home. They even got me a girlfriend. If you don't want your kids to grow up lonely, get them brothers and cousins.
Right on! 100% correct
Thank you 'The Atlantic' for bringing this topic out on the video in such a beautiful, melancholic way!
I just wanted to get this off my chest.
I am about to graduate University this year and I have a good group of people that I can really call friends. But I feel the loneliness starting to creep in when I graduate and start working full time. This feeling of anticipation is so strong and terrifying yet also weirdly comfortable. When I'm with people I see everyday like coworkers and casual friends, i always want to bring the conversation deeper and make some stronger connections but it seems so weird for some. When I get stuck alone for a while (both before and during covid) I have emotions that fluctuate so strongly and heavily between anger, delusions of grandeur, sadness, and crazy euphoria. It worries me that the rest of my life might be just working in cities with no friends and pursuing my hobbies with no one to share them with.
Anyways, for some reason I keep coming back to his video over and over again. I don't know why I have such a strong connection to the emotional stories that random people have to say.
I have no clue if anyone is going to read this but I'm wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
@!? Hey, wow I am surprised I got a response on this comment! It does feel oddly good to know that someone read my emotional block of words ahaha!
(Sorry longggg post ahead:)
So right now, I am doing really well. The last year has no doubt been a crazy roller coaster though. This original comment was written during what I would have considered the peak of my loneliness during final year of university, where everything was online and I was finding it hard to socialize around studying and the various restrictions at the time. I ended up getting my degree and all that jazz, although it felt very hollow and I felt really disillusioned with the whole thing by the end of it. That summer following graduation, I decided to take a break from life and had a mostly good time. Spent almost all of my time biking and doing art ~ although by the end of it I was itching to work and make some money.
Jump to a couple months after job searching from the end of summer until mid Autumn, and I managed to land myself a super sweet job. This was the kind of job that quite frankly I could have only dreamed of, and surprisingly led me to feeling the strongest sense of imposter's syndrome ever. I was pretty much just waiting for them to call me up one day and tell me I'm not the fit they thought I was lol. During the dead of winter, work became heavily work from home, and I spiralled again into a notable depression that fluctuated week to week. This sadness kindof culminated into the beginning of spring where I realized I wanted/needed to get out of this spiral, and over the last few months I've somewhat quickly pulled myself out of it all, and really just started doing the kind of stuff I've always wanted to do (skateboarding, biking, art, and hanging out with friends much more often). Even though I work full time, I cannot stand the idea of wasting my time, so try my best to use all of the ~4-5 hours of free time I have (mostly) every day for doing all the things I've wanted to do. The best analogy I can give is like trying to land a somewhat difficult skateboard trick like say a treflip - where the kick/pop up was graduation, the last year has been the board spinning through the air, and this spring has been that perfect stuck landing with a little flair to it. To be fair though, not everything in my life is great. My rented room right now is pretty rough as the city is expensive where I am living, and I still have my gray days here and there. But I've learned to appreciate what I have and its about as much as I could ever ask for :)
I feel more confident than I have ever in my life, and a lot of it had to do with just learning to let things go and appreciating what I already have. If you or anyone is looking for advice of any form, I would say find your own joy. Most of the joy in my life really does come from the little things. Some of the things that thrill me would probably bore you and vice versa! Social media has also wreaked havoc on my life in the past, and I find it to be no good for the vast majority of people as well. Humility, and appreciation have served me wonders.
All that being said, I still love this video. The lows will most definitely return, and its comforting to know very little of what I'm going through during the trips to the lowest of lows are foreign to most people.
I hope you are doing well yourself, and if you'd like to drop a line on where you are finding yourself in the journey of life, I'd be down to listen :)
Godspeed,
Em
If you like your hobbies you don't need to share them
@@konyvnyelv. Word, I've recently begun to figure that out. Thanks!
In Berlin, a city of 3.5 million, there are 300 unnoticed deaths per year, usually elderly people without relatives. It is either the smell, or the full mailbox, that force neighbors to call the police. Or it's the barkeep at the place where they used to go, who noticed their absence and called.
To put things in perspective, that's about 1 person every single day.
the music is the most harrowing part of this video
I think that with the rise of social media and the time dedicated to our digital lives, we are spending less time in our communities as communities that live together and support each other as neighbors. We have fewer people in our lives on a daily basis comparatively with generations past. I think this loss of community is fueling a profound feeling across our society that we are alone.
Good analysis. I use it every day, but I lived most of my life before the Internet, and wish it had never come to be.
Other people are not that great. Solitude is a gift.
Have you ever considered that other people may not think you're that great? We're all fallen human creatures, lost until we come to rest in the son of God, Jesus Christ. In any event, don't be contemptuous of others. They may have torments you can't imagine.
@@bobtaylor170 Thanks Bob. Proving my point.
I'd rather just hang with Jesus. Just me and him.
This is amazingly well produced. Music and accompanying video is top notch.
This is incredibly well produced. Props to whomever made this. Love
this is really sad, relatable and true. How does the Minister of Loneliness help people?
We are slowly evolving into a future which is more dangerous than any war or conflict we have ever seen before, not by a mistake but by free choice.
If I had grown up with social media, I would have been so much more lost than I was as a youth. My pain was more than enough then, but I had the sanctity of a private interior. My heart aches for the vulnerable. As addendum, I've developed agraphobia, and it is worse than ever. I've simply fallen into it w/o resistance. Social media, youtube, reddit, etc, help me pass the time and stay current. There is value there, but I've let it enable my isolation. Certain venues are poison, tho, like one man said. Instagram with the visuals. I don't do facebook. That is soul death to me.
Also, bullying must be way worse now. It doesn't stop as you leave a location, and ignoring social media (missing out what your peers are up to) poses a risk in itself.
Totally relate to what you're saying. I am so grateful I didn't grow up with social media.
@@HiAdrian Exactly
So many people don't have a thing they pursue that will make them less concerned about their solitude and consequently enjoying themselves from a self observed perspective. . Often times it is the hobby, pass time, frequented places...etc. that will garner the casual banter that leads to introductions. Younger people don't know how to assert a friendship - they just happen incidentally. But as adulthood and regular daily grinds isolate us; knowing how to strike up a friendship intentionally is a lost skill.
So people call in to this number to share private thoughts as an outlet and deal with personal pain/issues, and the Minister of Loneliness puts these thoughts out on youtube? I'm sure someone can be identified based on their voice and detailed descriptions of events.
What if we all meet together
Time and place lol I'm big serious
@@0urMutualFriend Kolkata?
@@cyanideandhappiness2115 😂😂 halfway around the world lol
Ill bring the weed
I'll bring the food
Here come the lofi hip hop producers hungry for a sample
Very moving... In the current situation of social-distancing and self-isolation, this video gets few more perspectives and becomes even more meaningful. A lot of people were already disconnected, feeling lonely. What will happen to them in this required isolation? How to cope with the situation in general and how to create a proper connection while keeping the distance?
That's what happens when more money means makes you somehow worth more. Lies.
The UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education.
They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
I live in an apartment block. I make it a point to speak to everyone that gets in the lift when I’m in it. I smile at people in the street. I make small talk and connect with people wherever I go. I don’t care if they respond or not, but nearly everyone does. People are lonely. We need more connection. I was very lonely while growing up and we didn’t even have internet then so it must be much worse now for young people. We have dozens of virtual friends but no one to mind the cat if we go away for a couple of days. Wishing everyone all the best. Love to all of you. ❤❤
This is so sobering and heartbreaking. 😭😢💔 You are not alone. Someone cares about you. You matter and your life has a purpose.❤
Your born, you grow up, you work hard to literally survive, you get divorced, you grow old, you die watching eastenders.
God gave me the grace to get out of my room and go to my church group to meet people............ and instead of being desperate (even though I was) I went there to 'be a friend' for others.... to serve them, that way if the friendships didn't happen, at least I was loving to someone else and the disappointment wasn 't there cause I didn't make it all about me.
People think they're supposed to be happy all the time, and think there's something wrong with themselves when they're not. Life can be filled with loneliness, grief, anger, pain, boredom, feelings of purposelessness. But you learn to deal with those feelings, keep busy, reach out to others, and ask for help if you need it.
This may well be true, but it’s not the most sympathetic comment I’ve seen ☹️
I can hear and feel the pain in their voices, I wish I had something to give them, some kind of hope. I want to be able to tell them all, "this too shall pass", but it's not true all the time, it's not true for everyone. Each person will have to work out the best answer for themselves.
In the last year and a half or so I've purposely removed myself from all relationships but two. These two people have chosen to stay with me despite my mental illness. I don't think I can force myself to live much longer and I don't think it's fair to people to leave them with that kind of pain. It's lonely, but I've been that most of my life even with people around me, I'm used to it.
Loneliness is not the most difficult problem, (my perspective). But I do realize it can be/is for others, and I know that it can/will exacerbate other problems. We all seem to agree that social networks/the internet has added to or even increased the problem of loneliness, (among the other problems it has caused), but no one has offered a solution. I believe this is an international problem, UK has opened it up, (Thank you!), but loneliness like this is worldwide.
Are there solutions to this seeming epidemic of loneliness?
What can we do as a world?
What can we do as a nation?
What can we do as a state?
What can we do as a city, town, or village?
What can I do?
What can I do for myself as the lonely individual?
funny part they created a line when lonely people cant talk with anyone just voice mail :)
:p
I've always wondered why the Tube was eerily quiet when I visited London even when it was full.
We were created to be connected personally & to need each other. Technology has disrupted the way life should be. "The Progress Paradox"?🙄🇦🇺
the key to a happy life is being comfortable and content with yourself
once you do that, everything else in life just kind of falls into place naturally
Unbelieveably beautiful, so painfully real...
9:34 - is LVT's Melancholia on the telly? Great reference, sound guy!
One suggestion is to join some group where you work together towards something. Could be a community gardening group, an animal welfare volunteer group, a religious or meditation group. Something that matches one's interests.
Another idea is to spend some time focusing on Inner Life, whether spirituality or self development. Work on identity, emotional boundaries, on healing any codependency and capacity for true intimacy and connection. Work on self love, basically. Quality of connection. But meditations and spiritual pursuits, like immersing yourself in nature, drawing, playing music... Even attending a church. ...All of this builds an Inner Life whereby you feel connection to God or whatever it is. To me, this is the opposite of loneliness.
Also, even just one close friend makes a big difference.
If you quit porn and social media and really cut down on tech us, you will seek pleasure from real interactions and your conversations will really improve after just a week. Trust me. I have gone more than a week without leaving the house on many occasions. I have no friends at the moment, but have been having some great conversations with people ive never met. I used to have a social life when i was 14 and below, but I got an ipad for christmas in 2011 and became addicted and my personality went out of the window, but I'm just getting it back now.
This is not entirely wrong. My life is not going well right now as I've been unemployed for some time. But removing my smartphone from my life has strengthened many of my friendships purely because I have to call friends and hang out with them in person much more.
Without human interaction, all you hear is ambient background noise
Haha the Minister of Loneliness isnt even picking up their phones thats why they have all these messages. Fail
The Minister of Loneliness was out partying at the time…
The Minister of Loneliness, has to be lone.... Duh! He/she is basically being alone, hiding from other people and government members.
Many people today have no purpose, and the communities/friendships/choices they make in life are just quick short satisfying pleasures that don't last.......... I was near depression and lonliness simply because I was on the computer all the time and didn't focus on Jesus my God, only when I started focusing on him and begging him to give me the grace to get out there and make friends, did I start putting effort into improving myself and becoming more virtuous, I also tried serving others with kindness, because if I let my desperation show, it might scare people off, if you look for friends never force yourself onto them, be there for someone first, because if you put all the pressure on yourself, you're just gonna get frustrated and give up.
I just have to delete my social media at night because I get that feeling of loneliness
capitalism and austerity are to blame for this. Northerners are actively ignored in the UK
Being lonely on the tube has nothing to do with austerity lmfao, get out of your rage-bubble.
@Kelp Farming how does that make any sense. I can explain why capitalism makes it worse but how does inviting MORE people into your country make people more lonely?? silly
he UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education.
They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
Ravi I’m Canadian lol, just writing what I saw when I studied there
Why are they ignored?
I used to ring the samanratines all the time everyday now iv joined a church im a chritian im happy i still have days were i feel alone but i think about the old me iv left facebook don't miss it..its toxic this is so sad that theres alot of LONELY PEOPLE OUT THERE YOUNG AND OLD i suffer from mental health i run everyday to keep myself motivated
We've built a society that's so against our own human nature. Where are members of a communal species supposed to go to, in a society that emphasizes individualism, competition, and production to generate wealth for someone else?
Why are people so afraid of other people in 2020?. When i was young i met a lot of people.
people were more friendly then than they are now.
People are constantly afraid of their rights, (some of which are outdated for use in current times) being taken away. Imho.
Captions are way too small.
This is late stage capitalism.
Anyone else find it sad to call the minister of loneliness, only to reach an answering machine?😥
Government can open churches or community centres for lonely people, empty shops one for families,one for lonely adult people,have tea and socialising.
It's best to be lonely than have the people you don't like,not everyone has time for anyone, it's sad some people can be so cruel.
Some people enjoys you being lonely.
So please try and enjoy being on your own company if you can. Learn to enjoy. Do things by yourself if you can ❤
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
😰🙏🇦🇺
This is what happens when we’ve come to the stage of a hyper-capitalistic cyberpunk-esque society where the booming of profit and economic growth has come at the cost of individual human connection and well being 🧐
Profit good, collectivism bad
Hyperion doubtful, the same thing is happening in countries not affected by those things
Hyperion that’s an extremely simplified and naive view lol, and no, I just told you that countries not facing mass immigration and that are conservative are still facing the same problem
Hyperion it is though. Coming from a country and region that’s been capitalistic, colonized, and patriarchal for decades. it is. People from western countries are sheltered and weak so they become easily delusional and hysterical at the tiniest things like some college kids being overzealous “Marxists”. Reality is different
Hyperion and what do you think caused the refugee crisis in the first place? Imperialism. And what drives imperialism? Resources. And what system is the system that has a constant need for expansion of resources? Capitalism. War is purely for war profiteers
To be fair, you've never asked a random crying stranger in public if they were OK, either.
Actually, I have. In fact, I make it a point to do so. My opening line is some kind of hybrid of "are you ok?" and "would you like to talk?" The majority of these people don't refuse, and even those who do thank me for asking. My philosophy is I (and they) have nothing to lose if I reach out. And sometimes it makes a tremendous difference.
if anyone needs to chat, im here for you. Been to the edge myself, I understand how you feel. please, please drop me a message and let me know how your doing x
Only young people?!
Thanks boomers for building THIS society and this landscape 🖤
Tip for young players: start playing a team sport again
Did these people give consent to their voices being publicly available?
For those that r lonely, listen to Sasha Sloan's song "only", it's about loneliness.
Great video
Currently I just live passively
This sounds so much like one of Delia Derbyshire’s ‘Inventions for Radio,’ like suddenly i’m falling, I’m falling upright•
Sometimes the suffering is stuking us and makes more dificult to move
Not familiar with Alice Aedy who made this but like...she's insanely talented and is gonna do more great things.
the UK governement has systematically destroyed Youth and Community work programmes in the country over the past 10 years by rigidly cutting their funds. Places where young and adult and old people could go and meet up and find someone to talk to and get non-formal education.
They have also through their neoliberal economical programme, their warmongering and the instutionalized promotion of xenophobia through the members of their own governement and parliament, successfully eroded most values that community and solidarity are based on. Now they appoint a minister for loneliness and produce feel-me-touch-me videos. yeah well.
The problem of England. Why don’t they try fix it
What's the number and is it OK to call from the USA?....LOL
Or india lol
Try meetup.com sure they'll have that in the us? or email loneliness@culture.gov.uk
@@p3rko166 thanks for the info... Hope it's not a joke like my comment was....lol
@@AwcomeonElRey not a joke mate that's all proper places
@@p3rko166 right on... I'm cool with being the only joker....
(July 2, 2023)
1:49 4:40 6:12. 11:48
12:25
Im not denying what's hapoening, but let's just take into account the possibility that some of the people can be narcissistic on an extreme level and that's why they feel lonely. It's an issue of itself if course, but there are some people who are lonely because their whole family and friends are gone, while narcissists have friends, family and attention and yet its never enough for them.
And again I'm noy saying that these callers are narcissistic. I'm just saying there's a way where two can be confused
I’ve sterted facing lonliness since age 24. I left uni n everything changed and it was an automatic switch, still cnt explain it.
*so soothing to hear these girls in pain. Yes.*
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SO LONELY THAT YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE IN THIS WORLD? HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO PLAY WITH SOMEONE SO MUCH YOU'D TAKE ANYONE BOY OR GIRL?.
That's why some of us have pets......
Is the call center in India perhaps?
No there is not
The middle path.....
What loneliness i.m.h.o. seems to come down to is a question: What do you expect in, or from, other people?
To which I would counter: Could they think likewise?
I could be wrong though. But I do care.
I think it's more FOMO and not them actually being anymore lonely than past generations.
I've approached 657 women in real life.
That is the solution say hi to strangers and potential dates and people tote attracted to.
Thomas what percentage would you say gave you a positive reaction.
this is good!
"Society of the Spectacle" by Guy Debord
why can't y'all just listen
I relate very strongly to the gay guy
How about a Minister of Nondrinking? It seems lots of these people have serious drinking problems leading to mental issues.