I Struggle With The Feeling Of Isolation Too, Drew Hunthausen, Blind Motivational Speaker

Have you ever felt isolated, or in a position where no matter how many friends and family are there, you still felt alone?

When recovering from my illness at age 12, to transitioning back to school, to finding passion for swimming, to attending college, and then speaking, I often felt isolated. Through it all I have been surrounded by great people, friends and family, but have often still felt isolated, still not sure where I fit in.

No matter how many friends came to visit after coming home from the hospital, no matter the number of family members who supported me, no matter how many get well cards and phone calls I received; behind my sightless eyes, I have felt painfully isolated and alone. But I was not alone.

My friends, you are not alone in feeling alone.

A nationwide survey by Cigna shows that almost 50 percent of adults admit to feeling isolated, left out and alone. The loneliest age group, the one that felt most disconnected, were those between the ages of 18-22.  Those who would seem to be most connected, surrounded by others, most energetic, also can feel most closed off from others.

This sense of isolation leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of our immune system and a reduction in a sense of passion for life, while also leading to an increase in levels of damaging stress hormones, our heart rate, and blood pressure, even to suicide. So how do we deal and fight this toxic epidemic?   

Start with Awareness. Let’s begin with the good news. Once you know there is an illness you can take steps toward the cure. Realizing that half of adult’s experience what you feel can actually be liberating. You are not alone!

The first step forward in recovering from any health scare, surpassing any challenge, or embracing any opportunity, is to take inventory on where you are, how you got here and where you want to go. On the journey through life, it’s important to slow down long enough to identify your answers to these questions and clarify the next steps.

My friends, it’s not always going to be easy. It’s not always going to be clear what that next step will be. Feelings of isolation and being alone are tough, but not impossible to combat and journey through. As Wayne Dyer says, “you cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with”. So start by learning to love yourself.

For more important thoughts on fashioning a “no excuses” life including learning to love yourself, go to DrewsInspirations.com and get your FREE giftThe 5 Keys to Living a No Excuses Life Filled with Joy, Peace, and Prosperity”, and always remember that the best is yet to come.

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