On Loneliness

When you experience the deep pain of loneliness, it is understandable that your thoughts go out to the person who was able to take that loneliness away, even if only for a moment. When you feel a huge absence that makes everything look useless, your heart wants only one thing — to be with the person who once was able to dispel these frightful emotions. But it is the absence itself, the emptiness within you, that you have to be willing to experience, not the one who could temporarily take it away.

It is not easy to stay with your loneliness. The temptation is to nurse your pain or to escape into fantasies about people who will take it away. But when you can acknowledge your loneliness in a safe, contained place, you make your pain available for healing.

"Growth can stem from the most surprising places"

R. M. Andrews & Associates
Marc Andrews LCSW, DCSW, MS, President
Counseling & Clinical Supervision

W: RMarcAndrews.com
P: 503-583-2037
E: RMA@RMarcAndrews.com