I was sitting with an old lady in her hospital room after she had surgery. My role was to discuss with her if she would manage at home alone when she left rehab... Then she said something that has stuck with me. “You know there is a big difference between being alone, and being lonely”.
When we encounter depression or anxiety we often think “is there something wrong with me?” We can wonder “why is it me struggling like this?”
Often we can be quick to point out how common depression and anxiety is in order to suggest that there is nothing wrong. However, I don’t think this is helpful and can actually fuel the stigma of mental illness. Let me explain…
(more…)