Does your chronic illness make you feel isolated?

Oh! to get time to feel lonely, I have witnessed these things in others, where it was family I set out to rectify it but outside my family, no I don't. I see this as a growing problem with the isolated lives of the newer generations who don't establish family relationships. Illness does drive many away but family should take up the slack but for others what is there. While visiting family in hospital I witnessed a man who never had a visitor in two years. My Dad I took in to my home to resolve his issues while recovering from cancer while alone, he lived some years with us. For my grandchild's mother living alone with mental health conditions as well phyisical issues. As she drifts in and out of hospital being alone has major issues for logistics as well the personal issues. Isolation is an issue and a growing problem as we choose to live alone and not have families. A state promoted social isolation since the 60s to break up the family, now the growing selfishness of individuals compound the issue. Illness compounds the lot and how we resolve it will become one of the greatest solution for society!

I make a conscious effort to get out with people I know. In the past I have isolated myself and lacked self confidence to go out. As the nurse said with my health issues most people would be housebound but with the help of my kids and friends they push me me to get out

Yes my illness makes me isolated as I have mild sleep apnea mild hearing loss and osteoarthritis which is debilitating in itself tbh I feel like hibernating and act like a recluse

Yes l speaking with psychology

I feel isolated and lonely as well as depressed as I sit in my living room with the TV as the only thing to listen too. Because I don't look any different and I talk to people who know my health conditions but they don't have any idea what I am feeling like and they know what I can do still, but don't think about what I can't do anymore. I don't let people know that I'm struggling with things I need help with now, And I hide the fact that I don't have the strength to do a lot of things, as it might sound like I'm asking for help from them, and I don't want to stop people from seeing me, then they don't want to call as they have to help me out with some things. I'm not as active as I was and I have a hard time to get motivated to do something or go somewhere. Life has definitely slowed down and I don't want to be a burden on people either. On days out that's a big deal for me to get ready for. I can't walk as fast as I did, I can't stand up for long without needing to rest or use the loo. These times need to be prepared for ahead of time for my needs and comfort. So everything needs attention beforehand if you want a day out with no problems or accidents happening. I have to stop thinking about my pride and be honest with friends and family who need me to be upfront and tell them about my condition and the effect it's done to me and effected my mobility and quality of life. My independence is important to me, although I need company and help with the day to day things needed to get through our lives. I need to speak openly about the things I can't do anymore or need help with now, instead of keeping it in, and worrying about it, even though it's not getting done. I am usually ok to talk about issues but I'm not as confident with telling everyone that I can't do something anymore, as I'm hearing it and waiting to see what th

Growing up in a loveless home created deep emotional deprivation, causing me to withdraw inward. Without guidance, I developed severe anxiety, guilt, and neurotic behavior around my sexuality, which derailed my education and mental well-being. My emotionally distant parents left me unable to form genuine friendships or healthy relationships with women, as I spent my life searching for the maternal affection I never received.Now 82, I carry over 75 years of unresolved trauma. Despite seeking therapy early in life, I still lack self-belief and struggle to be my authentic self. This leaves me feeling disconnected from my wife, son, and grandchildren, and my bottled-up frustration sometimes leads to outbursts I regret.My condition was diagnosed as a severe emotional block that impacts my ability to function and connect with others. While Carl Jung suggested that some people naturally drift toward a peaceful, hermit-like existence, I feel trapped by my isolation. Because I appear "fine" on the outside, others fail to understand my deep internal struggle, leaving me longing for true human connection and someone who understands my journey.

I luckily have a husband to share my chronic illness with. I don't feel isolated and make myself go out daily to mix with the public or other people.

After a day of seizures, I'm exhausted and occasionally have a tear session but it does me good and gets the emotions out of my system.

I am constantly stressed causing acute loneliness due to my long right with schizo-effective disorder depression COPD needing a wheelchair as after a near death accident in 1975 I can no longer walk by the time I was 41. My mental illnesses the reason for my accident as I was locked up in a small bedroom in a high security psychiatric hospital long closed. I had to find a way out climbed up on a stack of chairs to a skylight and crawled through being drugged up. I Never new but was on the top floor plunged 40-50 foot to my near death. Hospitalised for 4 months. I fought to forget but still 55years on have had vivid dreams and memories obviously as my wheelchair reminds me. I was in and out of hospitals always locked up for weeks/months never went out until I was safe to be let out. It started when I was a trained nurse from 1969 til 1975 when I was forced to retire. I walked again until 1990. Then my husband committed suicide in 1991. I was bereft and wanted to die but someone up there never wanted me and God helped me then and still does. I was married again in 2004. Keith, he was a wonderful husband but he passed away in 2023. I love alone now and have 3 very good friends who visit me each week on a Monday and Thursday. One, JANIE changes my bed every week and the three are so very supportive to me. They always aware of signs when I go off my head in either highs and lows. Or the voices which I've had for the whole time from 1975 and am still tormented. I am isolated and in a bad way at times when I don't want to know my friends. They help me out from my isolation back into reality. We're all 4 Christians and when I'm not feeling too good they pray and talk and let me talk. Thank God I've not been on section since 1990. That's amazing as was always taken into a Psychiatric hospital under Section and they were for a year now never. I just say find God and talk to Him when feeling isolated don't feel embarrassed being a Christian and talking to someone you don't know and can't see because He is REAL He's there I found Him in 1975 when I regained consciousness after a week. I knew He saved me from falling almost 50 feet onto concrete there for 3 hours before being found. A nightmare but He saved me for this life and for Eternity with Him. I still have all the signs and symptoms of my mental illnesses and now have so much worse things wrong physically but with Jesus I live i'm very much alive at 78 after umpteen tries to commit suicide I am still alive. No more 0/d tries I want to live. I love being alive. Oh to help with mental illnesses I'm alive and will continue with help from my 4 close friends but most of all with the Lord's help. I know what to do when feeling isolated but sometimes I get really deeply depressed until my friends keep on at me to talk to them. Then I've realised I locked God out. Yes I forget Him. No worries He's got broad shoulders and always understands. Who else would? not everyone.

Sorry to go on too long. It's a long story. Thank you if you read this. Chrissie