4️⃣ The vicious circle of loneliness: how distress traps us
💡 Emotional loneliness doesn’t just hurt… it disorganizes us.
When we feel that meaningful emotional bonds are missing, the distress can be so intense that it clouds our thinking, drains our energy, and leads us to act ineffectively. This creates a vicious circle: the more we try unsuccessfully to escape this state, the more frustrated we feel, and the harder it becomes to change.
🔹 How does this vicious circle form?
📉 Loneliness-related distress → Emotional and mental disorganization → Ineffective actions → More loneliness and distress.
✨ “If you keep doing the same thing, everything repeats itself.”
🔹 What kinds of ineffective actions?
🔸 Withdrawing even more because we think “no one understands us.”
🔸 Forcing connections or expecting too much too quickly from the wrong people.
🔸 Or simply doing nothing, paralyzed by pain and confusion.
🔹 Why is it so hard to break the circle?
Because when we’re emotionally disorganized, we can’t think clearly.
The pain pushes us to repeat behaviors that, instead of helping, deepen our isolation.
✨ “Tears won’t let you see the path ahead.” (India)
🔹 What can we do differently?
Sometimes, we need to disconnect from the loneliness that hurts and reconnect with other activities that replenish our energy:
🔸 Go for a walk,
🔸 Listen to music,
🔸 Engage in something creative or hands-on…
These activities won’t solve loneliness immediately, but they strengthen us from within, making it easier to face it with a new attitude.
✨ “You can’t fill an empty jug if you don’t place it under the water.”
💡 Small changes, small victories:
🔸 If today you don’t feel like seeing anyone, but you manage to send a message, you’re already opening a door.
🔸 If you recognize a negative thought that’s sabotaging you and decide to challenge it, you’re breaking the pattern.
✨ “A well-defined problem is half solved.”
🔹 Final reflection:
Overcoming loneliness is not about taking one big leap, but about consistent small steps. Breaking the vicious circle starts with doing something different, no matter how small.
With love,
Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández, your friend in health promotion. 💙
📚 Did you enjoy this read?
Discover more in the book Challenging Loneliness: Paths to Reconnect:
https://books2read.com/Challenging-Loneliness-English
🧠 Would you like to know the story behind this project?
Read the interview with Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández here:
👉 https://mentalhealthmaun.blogspot.com/2025/04/interview-with-arturo-jose-sanchez.html
🌍 Looking for more articles on mental health and well-being?
🔹 Browse the blog index in Spanish here:
👉 https://saludmentalmaun.blogspot.com/2024/06/index.html
🔹 Or explore the blog index in English here:
👉 https://mentalhealthmaun.blogspot.com/2024/06/index.html
💬 And if you’d like to share your experiences and reflections on mental health in a safe, supportive space, I invite you to join our WhatsApp group Mental Health in the Heart of Maun:
👉 https://chat.whatsapp.com/Bq2zInoxO6ZJzhmamfLmy0
💙 Together, we build paths toward emotional well-being.
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