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Feeling isolated? Join the forum discussion tonight!

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Everyone can feel isolated from time to time - and it can be hard! Did you know that feeling isolated doesn't just happen when you're out in the countryside and physically all by yourself but you can feel isolated even if you're surrounded by heaps of people!

Tonight on the ROtreat forums join Charlotte- RO Crew and Becks - RO Community Builder as we explore some strategies and hear how others are coping with feeling isolated - whether that's because you live far away from the city or because you feel awkward in social situations.

So - jump aboard the 'Info Bus' sub-forum on the ROtreat tonight (the 18th of June) at 7pm (Sydney time) and take a ride with RO along the bumps and twists of this journey.

Not a member? Unbelievable!! :) Join up now to see the ROtreat forums and take part in tonight's Info Bus session!

Check out the following fact sheets to get your mind into gear!

Overcoming isolation

Meeting new people

18 Jun 2009 05:08 PM |
Posted by: Charlotte-RO Crew in Mental health + wellbeing

The ROtreat forums

Tags:: alone; communication; isolation

17 Comments

Ophelia.L

over 2 years ago

@miss atreyu - No no you didn't! I felt lonely as soon as I brought my ass back to Sydney, which is a world filled with not so much sunshine & lollypops! But Im keeping myself so busy til December! I don't even want to think about the lonliness and I have a special someone in my life and she is really amazing who always make me smiles :)

miss atreyu

over 2 years ago

hey shawty,

aww i'm sorry didn't mean to make you feel lonely :(

huggs...

yeah i feel better :)

Ophelia.L

over 2 years ago

Hey hey miss atreyu,

Thats excellent you got that out. :) Dont you feel great you finally have that relief of releasing your 'whatever the feeling may be' out?

Now I feel lonely! I really do! I want to go back to where I belong. I don't belong in Sydney! :(

miss atreyu

over 2 years ago

I used to have no one to go to now I have my boyfriend who I trust and love with all my heart but I have been so isolated for so long that its like i've lost all my social skills I find it hard to talk openly I freeze up find it difficult to speak and get very confused with what I was thinking I have to write things down to get them out i don't know how to be confident in myself to open up to be normal I stopped seeing my counselor now I am trying to see her again she is very easy to verbally speak to but she's on holidays and I just needed to get that out, sorry.

bellza27

over 2 years ago

It's ever so hard to find someone you can pour all ur trust in, share all your ups and downs with, fully depend on that person too. Coz that person now doesnt exist in my "life" anymore.. she ran away. Im labled as the "dependable" one at school,, with is pretty nice actually. But what happens when there isnt anyone to turn to? You feel alone. Isolated. Its hard to believe that all the people you trust, break it all of a sudden. They start talking about you. You havent done anything. Theres no where to go.. no where to run. And no one to go to.

BreeBreeKid

over 2 years ago

I used to always feel icolated at my school, for being different, I used to always get called "emo" and stuff, I was finding school really hard to cope with because of that, until oneday, I was getting bullied and teased by some older guys at school, then a girl came up and stood up for me, she was my first friend, she helped me feel much better about myself, and now thanks to her, I have plenty of friends (: , 1 person can really make a difference (:

Charlotte-RO Crew

over 2 years ago

Thanks to everyone who jumped on board with me last night!

We discovered a little while back that we didn't have a 'read only' function so this has been given to our team to get up and running and they are working hard!

Unfortunately it couldn't be ready for last night - but soon!

So - stay tuned!

And don't forget to share your tips to beat isolation on this blog and on the fact sheets I listed above!

Janice-RO Crew

over 2 years ago

Hey folks,

We are hoping to have the read only function working early next week.

Come back and check it out then :-)

Bella.

over 2 years ago

Hey Antria,

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the idea.

I'm not sure where it's disappeared to now, but Charlotte did mention during the discussion that it would be open for us to read after the discussion was closed.

So I'm sure it will be back :)

It's a shame you could participate. Next time though, yeah?

Bella.

over 2 years ago

E,

Well said!

Wow.

I don't know what else to say. What you just said was awesome and really well expressed. Thank you for sharing :)

I would also like to reinforce your last but most moving point... 'We CAN do it!'

:)

Antria

over 2 years ago

Hey is it going to go back up for others (who weren't able to participate) to have a look at?

el=]

over 2 years ago

Go RO-ers!
I think tonight was just incredible. Everyone was patient, encouraging and had some beautiful ideas to share!

Tonights Info Bus taught me that there are so many different, strong, intelligent people that feel alone and isolated at times! Sometimes it can be scary to ask for help - to take that step that may seem so easy for others. We build up walls and start to get comfortable and then when we really need help, the walls have been built so high that it can be really hard to tear them down!

But with the help of the people we trust (whether that be fellow RO-ers, psychologists, counsellors, teachers, friends, family, psychiatrists, social workers or KHL workers) we can begin to talk, to say - "Hey! Im not okay and I DO need help!" We begin the long road to recovery and relapses occur - but thats okay because we can change our thinking, look around and discover that there are SO many people that care!

The people here at RO dont judge. They listen, and offer advice, and make those seemingly unbearable times that little bit easier. Overcoming isolation is tricky - but is easier to do if you have the support of others. I think we showed that here tonight - we are knocking down the walls of social stigma - saying that its okay to admit we need help and that its okay to have a mental illness. We CAN do it.

=]

Bella.

over 2 years ago

Oh, okay... I'll add one more comment in regards to what Becks said.

What did I learn?

I learnt that even though isolation can feel hugely overwhelming, ultimately, we have control over it.

When we are feeling isolated, if we are able to take that first step, to access help, then we will find that we will experience a world of difference.

Sometimes we just need someone to sit with a us through the hard times. We need someone to just be there. To listen. To understand.

Sometimes remaining isolated - as ironic as it sounds - can be the most comfortable option that we can see. It feels safe, because even though we are alone, nothing can get to us. Nothing can hurt us. I think that staying isolated is a lot scarier, and a lot harder in the long-term than it is to take the step to reach out for help.

So, I encourage everyone to take that first step and access help. We can all overcome isolation, because we all have the power to pick up a phone and call a friend or helpline (such as KHL on 1800 55 1800), we all have the power to book an appointment with a counsellor, doctor, psychiatrist or other health professional...

We all have the power to create change in our own lives. We all have the power to overcome isolation.

Good luck who ever you are! I wish you the best of luck in your journey, and I hope that you find the strength to take the next step... I promise you that it's worth it. xo

Bella.

over 2 years ago

Hey there RO crew,

Thanks for an awesome info Bus session tonight.

I think together we all nutted out some really good points, and we came to a lot of good conclusions.

I would just like to say that if any non-member is reading my comment now - what are you waiting for? Join!

Then once you've done that, come and visit us in the forums, and read up on our discussion about Isolation and how to overcome it.

If you're feeling isolated, or if you experience feelings of isolation from time to time, the ROtreat forums will probably be quite helpful for you. It's a beautiful, caring, understanding community, and I think that you'll be surprised just how great it is.

See you around everyone,

;)

Bells

Becks

over 2 years ago

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of you! You guys and girls made tonight's Info Bus session run SO well. I hope you all found it as helpful as I did!

Perhaps the people who participated in the info bus tonight could give us one thing that really stood out for you?

I'll start.... for me, tonight's Info Bus, showed me that isolation can be caused by a whole range of things, and that getting support from services and people you trust can do a whole world of good in regards to a young person's mental health and wellbeing, and can also create a sense of connectedness. =)

Now its your turn!

Charlotte-RO Crew

over 2 years ago

What she ^^ said!!!

:)

Becks

over 2 years ago

Hey everyone!

I look forward to seeing you all on the Bus tonight. Isolation is such a fascinating topic, and is something that SO many young people experience on a daily basis. It will be great to see and hear your experiences and views on overcoming isolation.

Take care and stay safe everyone! See you at the Bus Stop, ready to board the RO Info Bus! =)

Becks

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