Social support

Quest for Connection

Liberty attempted suicide three years ago, but with the right support, she was able to finish her Grade 10 courses. The next year wasn't so easy: with severe social and anxiety and depression, she withdrew and couldn’t leave her home for six months. But with the support of her family and caring service providers, she sought help, slowly rebuilding connections.

Loneliness

Loneliness was always a shadow in the background. Jane describes the toll that loneliness has taken on her life, and the role that mental illnesses have played in it all in seemingly pushing people away. Without friends and with only limited contact with family, the stress of navigating challenges like losing her job, partner and home was a recipe for disaster. Jane felt that she would spend her "retirement" alone, but after writing her article, she is looking to the future with a little more hope.

Depression, Loneliness and the Journey Towards Recovery

Alberto thought that being alone, separating himself from others, could help him survive depression while protecting others from those difficult feelings. Learning to let others in turned his life around. Alberto reflects on the difference between loneliness and solitude, an important tool in learning, planning deliberate actions, taking care of himself, and connecting with loved ones even when he doesn’t feel his best.

We Are Not Alone, We Are Part of the Majority

Loneliness is part of being human, and it’s something we all experience at times—even when we know we're part of the larger group. While research increasingly shows us that loneliness can have a serious impact on health and well-being, you may be surprised which age groups are most affected by loneliness.

Editor's Message

Togetherness is human nature—we need to feel acceptance and belonging. While loneliness in small bouts can be useful and tell us that something is wrong, there is so much shame around asking for help with loneliness that the fear of rejection can make loneliness worse. The good news is that it isn’t inevitable: we can all work to improve our relationships so we have the love we need.

Resources

Reprinted from "System Navigation" issue of Visions Journal, 2014, 10 (1), p.

Social Support

Learn more about social support. Social support is the support you receive from other people like families and friends. It can be informal, like sharing experiences with a friend, or formal, like meeting others with similar experiences in a support group. Social support has a huge impact on our health and well-being and is a key factor in dealing with mental health problems.

Social Support

What is Social Support? Social support is the physical and emotional comfort given to us by our family, friends, co-workers and others. It's knowing that we are part of a community of people who love and care for us, and value and think well of us. We all need people we can depend on during both the good times and the bad. Maintaining a healthy social support network is hard work and something that requires ongoing effort over time.

Choosing a Support Group that's Right for You

Support groups are a way for people with a common experience to help each other and learn from each other. There are support groups for people with any experience of mental illness or substance use, support groups for people with a specific diagnosis, support groups for family members and friends, and more.