Alone is not the same as lonelyStep 1 of 8

Before you read on

If you have thought about ending your life, or you feel that nobody would notice if you were gone, that comes before anything on this page. Tell someone who is with you today, contact your doctor, or use your local emergency number. And if there is a person in your life who controls who you are allowed to see or speak to, that is a different problem from the one this course is about, and there are services for it. This course is not an emergency service.

Lesson 2 of 6

Loneliness is a signal, like hunger

Hunger is not a defect. It is a signal built to push you toward food. Thirst does the same job for water.

Loneliness works the same way. It is unpleasant on purpose, because for most of human history a person cut off from the group was a person in real danger. The discomfort exists to push you back toward people.

So far, so useful. The complication is what else the signal switches on while it is running.