Loneliness

One word, yet it carries so much weight. It is a word that invokes a feeling right to the core of your soul. Of all the things, of all the symptoms that psoriasis has brought to my life. Loneliness has been the one that stuck around the longest. It is also the one that hurts the most.

Imagine yourself in a room full of people, laughing and chattering, surrounded by loved ones. Friends and family everywhere you look, and yet somehow you feel separate from it all.

There are moments when I can feel the connection and be truly present. However for the most part it can sometimes feel a bit like an out of body experience. How is it that even though we are surrounded by our people we feel so disconnected?

Why do we feel so different because of psoriasis?

I am sure that most of you can relate to this. We know what we are going through, or rather living through. Is an experience like none other. We can explain some of it, but for most of the general population, they just do not get it.

This is not something that is their fault, as I do not think you can truly get it until you have been through it. You could find yourself feeling isolated from the ones around you pretty quickly if you are not careful.

Losing connections with modern technology

Now, this is not even referring to cellphones and how they connect and disconnect us all at the same time. I read an article the other day that spoke about how, when washing machines were invented, depression numbers went on the rise. Washing machines, you may ask.

Allow me to explain. Often before washing machines, women would come together in groups and wash the washing together. This would breed a sense of community and belonging, people banded together for the same reason. *Insert washing machine here*

Now many of the women no longer come to the group. They don’t wash outside like they used to and chat with the neighbors and the kids. They remain indoors more often and start unknowingly to isolate themselves, just a little bit.

The power of online communities

We are blessed with some amazing online communities, and when your days are lonely and your nights are long, reach out. There is bound to be someone about online and up for a chat. Most importantly is when they come from communities of people that are going through the same things that you are. They truly do understand.

Equally important, they are probably up for a similar reason to you in the middle of the night. Reach out, talk, and allow people to be there for you.

In addition to this, if you see someone else struggling, drop them a message or talk to them in the store. Let them know that they are not alone. Heavens knows we all need to hear that from time to time.

We have all the resources at our disposal to help combat this, in our modern world. I do think that we are too isolated. There is a way to change this, we need to connect more often and with more people.