6️⃣ Are You the One Building Walls?
💡 Sometimes, loneliness doesn’t come from the outside. It can begin within.
It’s not always a loss, a change, or an absence that distances us from others: there are attitudes, fears, or personal traits that build invisible walls and make emotional closeness difficult.
🔹 What kind of internal traits can drive others away?
🔸 Excessive mistrust: When you always expect the worst from people, you end up isolating yourself out of fear of being hurt.
✨ “He who fears suffering is already suffering the fear.”
🔸 Perfectionism or being overly demanding: Expecting perfect relationships may lead you to reject valuable connections just because they aren’t flawless.
✨ “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
🔸 Emotional coldness or difficulty expressing affection: If we don’t show love, empathy, or gratitude, bonds cool down or vanish.
✨ “A dry finger gathers no salt.”
🔸 Defensive or aggressive attitudes: Those who respond with harshness, sarcasm, or superiority often create rejection without realizing it.
✨ “He who is inconsiderate will be avoided.”
🔸 Low self-esteem: When we don’t believe we deserve love, we shut down, isolate ourselves, or accept harmful relationships.
✨ “No one can love someone who doesn’t love themselves.”
🔹 What is the impact of these invisible walls?
Every wall we build to protect ourselves may become an emotional prison. It may keep us safe… but it also leaves us alone.
✨ “Whoever builds a wall ends up imprisoned by the wall they built.”
🔹 What can we do about it?
🔸 Look inward with honesty: Is there something in me that might be affecting my relationships?
🔸 Open up little by little, without demanding perfection, but without staying paralyzed either.
🔸 Seek help if it feels too difficult to do alone.
💡 Self-awareness is an act of courage that can turn loneliness into a bridge toward others.
🔹 Final reflection:
Many of us want hugs, but we offer thorns. We want deep connections, yet we don’t let anyone in.
Tearing down walls is uncomfortable… but only then can human warmth find its way in again.
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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