A man with red hair, a beard, and glasses wearing a blue shirt rests his hand on his chin.

Do you feel cut off from other people?

A life without social invitations is a cruel place to be. No one calls to ask how you are, no one texts you, and no one invites you out. Then there are those who cancel on you when other plans come up. You’re excluded from family events, and no one invites you around for Christmas dinner. You begin to wonder if you’re too much or not enough, too boring or too intense, not the right shape to fit, lacking the right vocal tone, or too intellectual. You are left feeling that you don’t belong and that you’re an inconvenience.

The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with you. You just haven’t met the right people who accept you for who you are.

A woman with curly orange hair wearing a yellow shirt rests her hand on her chin.

Do you often feel misunderstood, even when you’re with others?

When someone asks if you’re OK, do you respond with ‘I’m fine’ even when you want to reply, ‘No, I’m not’?

Perhaps you hold back because you’re afraid of having to explain how you really feel, because you question their sincerity, or because you simply want to avoid awkward moments.

Emotional isolation is the sense of being unseen, even when you’re surrounded by people. You might be in a crowd and yet feel that no one truly understands you. You edit yourself, keep conversations short, and hide your thoughts.

You look fine to others, but inside you feel unseen. Many members, when joining, describe feeling exactly the same way.

A man with brown hair and a beard wearing a dark blue shirt rests his hand on his chin.

Are you spending most of your time alone?

Perhaps you’re living alone for long stretches, without regular face-to-face contact with friends or family.

Perhaps you are working from home or are retired, and rarely talk with new or old colleagues.

You might be housebound, through illness, disability, or circumstances that make it difficult to leave home. Whatever the reason, the days can blur together when you spend most of your time by yourself.

The Society of Lost Souls holds weekly online conversations for adults who know what that feels like.