Two days ago, I read an article about Japan. The government had appointed a ‘Minister of Loneliness. I was a bit confused with the idea as it was surprising; at the same time, I found it amazing as there are times when we cannot deal with stress and loneliness. Wouldn’t it be great to have a specialist to consult with when you need personal guidance? Just check-in!
Reaching My Threshold
There was sunset on this beautiful, fall evening. Rush hour was over. The weather was cool, and I could feel the greatness of the sea. I was alone but not lonely. I enjoyed knowing that the day was almost over and a new one would soon begin.
The next day wasn’t as peaceful.
It was a September afternoon in 2019 when I felt like I was going to lose everything. All of a sudden, we felt an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 in Istanbul. We were all on the street, not knowing what to do. Two weeks later, we learned that our house had been destroyed, so I had to leave my childhood home. I had reached my threshold.
Trying to Survive (Alone!)
My motto used to be, “If you can’t deal with it, try to forget it.” I had survived 32 years by avoiding my problems.
I felt lonely. I was surrounded by so many people; however, I was alone. I wanted to be alone. I isolated myself from everyone. I felt nothing but desperation and loneliness. It was devastating. I needed someone but didn’t want to worry others as I knew they were dealing with the earthquake, Covid-19, and possibly more.
Reaching Out
I thought how nice it would be if we had some authorities to consult with, someone to help us. Then I read about Japanese authorities constructing a ministry to deal with loneliness.
It is not easy to detect who is the loneliest, but wouldn’t it be great to know that you could get professional help?
Unfortunately, Japan had to do this because an alarming number of women attempted suicide during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Still, our lifestyles will not be the same once the pandemic ends, so it is better if we begin taking precautions to assist people who may need help balancing their emotions or who experience challenges with loneliness.
No One Has to Suffer Loneliness Alone
So far, only Japan has a Ministry of Loneliness. Still, we have many resources to use to our advantage. Maybe all of a sudden or maybe in time you may need to consult other people, professionals, or familiar people. It is perfectly healthy to seek help for guidance.
We can always try to find new means of communication to understand what we are feeling and remember that it is normal to find ourselves in these situations. The Philia Team is here to make sure you do not feel alone while learning how to make a better version of yourself.
