Watch This If You're Feeling Lonely (I got advice from experts) 

I love that you're not afraid to admit your own loneliness. Especially for men, we never really like to talk about this kind of stuff. Hopefully that can change, and we won't take human interaction for granted anymore.

“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me love this quote

“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.” ― Mark Twain

"If you're depressed, if you're anxious... You are not weak. You're not crazy. You're not a machine with broken parts. You are a human being with unmet needs." Thank you for taking the time to understand yourself better and for sharing it with us in such a beautiful way, so that we can all grow together.

Wow, amazing comments and feedback in the comment section. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and share your thoughts! Edit: consider giving the video a like if you want to help spread this message.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ― Plato

I just have unmet needs. That social prescription idea is brilliant. I didn't think of that. I always assume it's my fault, in my head, something broken, but it isn't. This made me cry, thank you.

I've understood the value of people and the value of being alone. The ones who have the patience to wait for sensible people instead of desperately looking for someone, are the ones who truly become stronger from within. The rest create a temporary group of what they know, is a dead end group.

"Your pain makes sense" hit really hard

honestly, you should start a podcast series about talking about real, detrimental issues!!! i really love this - its so relevant to me and I'm super thankful to realize I'm not alone.

Not going to lie -- when I saw your older loneliness video on my home screen I pushed it off and didn't watch it (unusual for your vids). I guess I was trying to deny something, not sure. This video was exactly what I didn't know I needed. Thanks Nathaniel!

This is a really good video

“Stop chasing perfection, it's not as perfect as it looks.”

You are PAVING the way, Nathaniel Drew! Such an inspiring individual. LOVE this video and your new mini-doc series :)

When I heard “you’re a human with unmet needs”, this overwhelming wave of sadness washed over me. I felt relieved, like if it was a sentence I had been waiting my whole life to hear. I felt seen as a human being, recognized as a living entity. In my heart poured all the sadness of the world for everyone and everything. This wave was peaceful, and the pain came calmly. I’m not talking about needs as needs but as our human essence. To be loved, to feel loved, to give ourselves the permission to live, to occupy an environment where we are allowed to thrive, to be authorized to reach our full self. So many in these world do not get this need met, yet it is the base reason of our existence. Thank you for this bubble-popping sentence, it deg deep in my guts and my soul, and I shed one layer to come closer to feeling connected to myself and the universe. You can feel yourself during dissociation yet you know there is something underlyingly wrong, and it is that you are acting like yourself because you know who you are, but are not feeling it, everything passes in front of you and you can’t hold on to anything, let it sink. To Nathaniel and the two experts, my thank you goes to you. To everyone in the world, know that you are loved.

Loneliness is sometimed provoked by the lack of purpose. When you truthfully ask yourself what’s meaningful in your life and you start working towards that, there will be no time for your brain to feel lonely.

Guys don't say "accept loneliness", "embrace loneliness", "enjoy your own company you don't need anyone", don't listen to random quotes from whoever that you find on the internet, loneliness isn't your friend and doing those won't do you any good, we just have to try and be more social and find the right person, i know that it can be hard and stressful stepping out of your comfort zone in fear of being hurt again but you have to try, spending time with family really worked out for me and completely freed me from the feeling of loneliness and for the first time in a long time i felt like i was finally free from it, and i've also met very nice people through them

The feeling of loneliness can sometimes be very difficult to overcome. I think deep down we all want to look for or be found by people that we can really connect with and have a purpose in life that fulfils us. BTW in New Zealand it’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and so just a friendly reminder to check in with yourself and those around you - it’s okay to not be okay ❤️I love your videos and you inspired me to start my own channel! Keep up the great work!

Self-Awareness has only led to more loneliness for me.

The loneliest feeling one can feel is the acknowledgement of the fact that not even your significant other can fill that empty void in your chest. It's so great that you don't know what to do with it,what plug(friends, family etc.) actually fits it. It's this awareness that drives us to depression tbh

I really related when she talked about conflict between the desire to connect and the desire to stay disconnected. I am so disconnected from myself but especially everyone else because I purposely push them away...but then I feel alone yet with no desire to want to connect with anyone. It just feels like an obligation, so heavy to me so I am glad she spoke on this and made me feel like Im not the worst person in the world for being unable to have this desire to build relationships with people

Amazing video Nathaniel. Lost Connections is a great book. As is Chasing The Scream. Which has a lot of the same underlying themes. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got lined up for the future! Great videos so far

Watching your videos makes me feel, I'm watching a Netflix Documentary and just don't want to stop watching. You really make me understand how the world and my mind works and how should I take control of it. Keep making such great videos and inspire us! ❤️

Some of us were lonely before the pandemic and didn’t realize other people weren’t like this until it hit.

Thank you for making this video Nathan!

Been feeling very lonely over the past 2 years, it became harder late last year when my brother who was the only one who regularly visited my place died. I got really depressed and disconnected , but am slowly trying to feel better and looking to form a a good support base

Hard to be too lonely with all those books in the background. When I was in my 20's, my best friends were largely dead authors - I always felt like I carried them around with me.

Omg I love that you are including Dr. Nicole Lepera. I love her work.

If you can get through being lonely, you can get through anything!

I absolutely love your content. The effort you’ve put into these pieces has not gone unnoticed. Thank you.

Absolutely love this documentary. These topics are so important yet not many people are talking about them. Loneliness is an extremely confusing feeling when you're surrounded by people- and you shed light on just that. Keep up the amazing and insightful content, looking forward to the next video :)

Love this type of longer videos! It's quality is really impressive! You're an inspiration to me and my own channel, keep creating amazing content!

A 10 day silent retereat really teaches us to be alone and begin to listen and understand all those little voices & emotions inside...... We need this time alone so that we do not misunderstand aloneness with loneliness. 'Loneliness' is not real, it is just a passing emotion and we just need to KNOW how to fulfill all the other little needs that lead us to 'feel' such 'loneliness'. Do not let it lead to depression or anxiety! I appreciate how the pandemic has given this opportunity for people to be alone all by themselves just to make all these observations. There has been some despair, but we are connecting more and mroe to our human side vs oru doer side. *** WE GOT THiS!

This was truly a fantastic video Nathaniel. Thank you. Please keep making videos about these topics!!

Fantastic work, Nathaniel. Thanks so much for putting this together. So much food for thought.

Nathaniel, you’re an inspiration to youtubers everywhere. Hello from Atlanta, GA!

I actually found this video inspiring. I started to cry a little at certain times because, since I had been diagnosed with Major Depression and General Anxiety at age 13, there have been many psychiatrists and many psychologists/therapists in my life and none of them have addressed it like this. Though I currently have a great therapist that I do phone sessions with at this chaotic time, she has advised me to analyze which feelings are real and which feelings I’m conditioned to feel because I’m used to it; ie. I guess I’m supposed to differentiate between which of my emotions are accurate in my everyday life as if some feelings are fake or invalid. This might be me misinterpreting her meaning, but this is how I saw it after watching this video. I cried because for the first time in a long while, I feel like my emotions and fears are valid. Like I have a reason that I feel this way and it’s possible to help assuage the negativity. The fact that it is indeed possible to see the hope through my hopeless times just makes me cry because it’s been so difficult for me to imagine my life without a million prescribed meds and feeling so anxious having to do a job outside the house, and having to interact with people, that I got sick every morning after I got to work. I’d both be vomiting and having a bad case of diarrhea. Many times I got so sick I had to go home. Eventually they let me go due to these increasing effects from anxiety. I actually felt relieved that I didn’t have to go to a job that didn’t seem to appreciate me in the first place despite me doing everything I was told and getting a lot of work done when I was told. If some day I could get a job in which I don’t feel this way, I’ll be ecstatic. To have a life nearly free of the noise machine in my head and being able to get to the root of a problem and learn how I can help fix it, to learn how to be the adult that I am, and not get too distracted by my own thoughts (just happened now: was thinking about a song by Julian Lennon... 😬 ) so that I can accomplish the things that are important to me. And also to be able to help other people accomplish their most important things by just being there to cheer them on or give them a hand up. Little things make a difference. And these experts are correct; let’s normalize compassion.

Thank you for all the love you spread and the work that you do.

Hello Nathan, thank you for this video. I'm watching this a year later after you posted this. And your conversation with Johann (7min) really spoke volumes with myself and what I've been trying to find a perspective towards. Going to admit that I've cried in this part in your video, because it's the words that I've been waiting to hear. At this time it's finally connected to my 'why' (my thinking of what has been been harming myself both physically and mentally) So I hope you see this. I hope you see that even after a year this is still helping people like myself. And I thank you with my whole heart. Keep doing what you do

You took this video to another level. Well done and very important message.

This video is incredibly well produced!! Truly amazing! :)

Thank you so much for this video. It’s beautifully shot and not to mention I cannot explain the need for people to hear and have this information. You are changing the game. Thank you

Thank you so much for this video Nathaniel! I loved hearing all of yours and other great minds thoughts on the topics of lonliness, anxiety and depression. I myslef struggle with all of them and it has been and it still really is a long journey. The things that were said in this video has given me a new prespective on the subject and has helped me to shift my thinking. Thank you again, keep up the incredible work. You are truly an inspiration to me and others

This video is so important, the story about the rice farmer made me burst into tears haha, the part when he asked what did they do? And the people just went and listened to him to help solve his problem. And that depression and anxiety don't make you weak or broken, they just point you in the direction of what you need. I also have struggled with disassociation pretty hardcore and i am so glad they mentioned that, i was turning off all my feelings and being totally unaware of my environment, then getting angry at myself for not doing enough. I am a beginner at understanding myself and trying to change for the better in a kind and positive way, videos like this really help concrete new concepts in my head. so good thank you for making this!!

Wow, I got so emotional and goosebumps in this video. This was SO meaningful to me, Nathaniel. I thank you to the bottom of my heart. ❤️ It made a LOT of sense to me and gave me a lot of clarity

I really appreciate your channel Nathaniel, thank you for putting out so much reassuring and relatable content.

Loved it! Not only great insight but I love that there's something actionable to it. I feel like I've been stuck on a loop of being aware of my disconnect and then refusing to acknowledge it. Thank you for this.

*Being lonely is actually underrated. It's a great way to discover who you truly are*

Always alone but NEVER lonely.

Your videos are so special. I do not know any other youtube channel like yours. An amazing type of work Nathaniel. I am so happy, that I found your channel.

I can honestly say this is one of the best videos since the Feeling left behind and Glad I didn't go to College videos prior. This is a worthy topic to be covered as we are all still grappling with our new world and what social interaction will look like moving forward. Thanks!

"You also need to feel you are sharing something with the other person that is meaningful to both of you"- that got me teared up and explained something for me that I hadn't had the words for yet. Thank you for this very well done video, Nathaniel.

I rarely comment on videos on RU-vid, but I had to on this one. Nathaniel, I have been following your channel for a while (roughly for the past 18 months). I have seen the quality of your content improve continuously. However, this video hit me on a whole new level. The quality of this one is INSANE. The insights that these experts gave were eye-opening. I’m excited to keep following your channel and to see what content you’re going to put out next! Keep up the great work man! 👍🏼 And to everyone reading this: better times will come. This virus won’t last forever, your personal hardships won’t last forever. I’m grateful that technology offers the possibility to engage and connect in these online communities with like-minded people all over the world. Sending mucho love from The Netherlands to wherever you’re watching from! ❤️🇳🇱

Wow! This video was reallly helpful! Johann and Nicole’s stories are so relatable and true! Thank you Nathaniel!

I just came upon your channel recently and I really appreciate your thoughtful, intellectual content.

*If you ever feel lonely, watch a horror movie. After a while, you won't feel like you're alone. 😂*

'your pain makes sense' - I love that quote!

Congratulations for your most in depth video! Gratitude defines it.

This video is brilliant. I marvel at how you bring all these difficult and important topics to the world with beauty wisdom, and compassion, Thank you! Gayle

Esto me marco: *Si te sientes depresivo, ansioso* No eres débil, no estás loco, no eres una máquina con partes rotas. Tu dolor tiene razón: Eres un ser humano con necesidades insatisfechas. Tenemos que dejar de insultar estás señales(ansiedad, depresión,ect) y empezar a escucharlas, porqué no están diciendo algo que necesitamos escuchar. Los seres tienen necesidades físicas naturales: -Necesitamos alimentos, -necesitamos agua, -necesitamos vivienda, -necesitamos aire fresco. Y si te quitara esas cosas estarías rápidamente en serios problemas. Pero al igual que tenemos estás necesidades físicas naturales, hay pruebas de que también tenemos necesidades psicólogicas naturales: -Tienes que sentir que perteneces. -Tienes que sentir que tú vida tiene un significado y propósito. Desde mi punto de vista nuestro día debería de tener: 1.Crecimiento (✓ ) 2.Experiencias ( ) 3.Contribucion ( ) En mi caso, necesito: 1.Sentir que aporto valor a la vida de la otras personas, la razón es que charlo con muchas personas durante el día acerca de algo que le aporte valor a la otra persona o que nos aporte valor y nos haga crecer juntos. 2.Cultivar la consciencia, consciencia es estar presente en el momento, tener tus sentidos completamente receptivos y abiertos a lo que está pasando. ¿Cómo? Poner alarmas aleatorias para poder: *Ser consciente de tu mundo exterior* preguntándome: Escuchando y sientiendo tu mundo exterior: (Relaja tu cara) -¿Qué escuchas? (Concéntrate en el sonido y como viaja hacia tí.) -¿Qué hueles? -¿Qué saboreas? (Desliza tu lengua al rededor de tus dientes superiores o golpea tu paladar con tu lengua) -Que sientes en tu cuerpo? ¿En qué parte o partes? -¿Que vez? *Ser consciente de tu mundo interior* Observa tus pensamientos, preguntándote: ¿Estoy pensando? ¿Que estoy pensando? No solo hay que pasar tiempo con las personas sino que hay conectar con ellas.

This deserves so many more views >_

Ohhhh!!! WOW!! You and Nicole la Pera in the same video. That is amazing! I've been following her this past year and she has helped me so much. And you've questioned the way I've viewed myself. In sense of introversion, energy, understanding oneself and becoming true to who I am. Amazing video,, thank you!

Great video! I got super exited when Dr. Nicole appeared. I've been following her for around a year now and her work was/is very relevant in my life and self understanding.

If you've heard of johann hari's podcast with matt d'avella, thats one of the most amazing podcast I've come across and everytime I listen to him telling this story, it makes more sense. This one advice that I've been following for years is that "In order for me to be well with other, I need to look out for my well being" and I've come so far and I still am looking for more answers. After this video what I've understood is "craving for human connection is not being desperate, its q necessity," and one of the greatest lesson im taking with me ❤🙏

everytimr i feel depressed at night i rewatch the interview towards the middle of the video. i am not weak i am not a robot with broken parts i’m a human with unmet needs

Thank you for this video. You have touched on all the points I have been struggling with for the past two years. I am saving this video to share with those near me that could really benefit from the conversation as well. Thank you

I love the longer videos!! So pumped to keep seeing content from you Nathaniel!

I started University online this fall and I have never felt so lonely. I have some friends that are still in town but it's been tough. I guess it's just knowing that this time of year is when you meet new people and make new friends and instead I'm at home doing homework. Lecture. Work. Sleep. Work. Lecture. Over and over and over.

For all people that lack speaking to people sharing experiences and emotions, VR-chat really helped me. I am a pretty shy personality which is scared to open up and doing things irl like going out for drinks for example. After a while of going into vr i was used to talk to people on the daily bases and one day i thaught hey yk what?, atleast try to go out and challanged myself. I said to myself "i mean if u get to scared just go out of the club and go home". So i went in sat alone and wierd at the bar and ordered some drinks. But obviously nothing gonna happen when you dont make the first move. So i went to a group of people told them my story and they was really nice about it. We all had a very fun time and exchanged phone numbers. These were then later my first friends that i made after school and i am 23 years old.

Wow! This is mind opening. We need more discussions like that

Asking the right questions and pursuing them in a way that makes sense to you. Great video Nathan!

Im stuck with my family and would like to live alone in peace, as a introverted person it's kinda like hell

The worst of all is being surrounded by people who makes you feel lonely

Thanks for this initiative man. Your insightful content does change how I perceive life in general. Continue influencing people with your good intentions. Cheers for more!

this video is such an amazing and helpful resource for anyone going through mental health struggles. thank you for your vulnerability :)

Who else liked before watching 😃 Love your contents man. Love the cinematic look and I love the message you're passing.

Darling people - please notice the difference between the words "alone" and "lonely" they are separated for a reason. You can be lonely when you are alone, you can be lonely when you are not alone, you can be alone yet not lonely.

This is an incredibly timely video for me. Thank you so much for putting all the effort in to speak to experts and say all of this so well. Very helpful video.

This video actually put me into tears. Thanks for this video Nathan!❤

I think self-awareness, and even more importantly, self-compassion are key in addressing and overcoming loneliness. The catch is- as you've discussed in many of your videos, they're both very hard to build and cultivate 😅. Not that this can be simplified in anyway, but I've learned that by improving my own self-awareness (mostly through meditation), I'm more capable of observing my thoughts and feelings, and using those observations to determine if I need to reach out to someone else for connection or help. Where self-compassion comes in, is to have the ability to acknowledge those thoughts and feelings, and NOT judge myself for them- no matter what they may be. Self-compassion has also helped me see that it is not weakness to need or ask for help. And again, as everyone in the video emphasized, this is not easy. The human experience is so complex. I personally would not be where I am today on my "consciousness journey" without the help of my loved ones as well as my therapist- and I know there will always be more to learn lol.

I've noticed how I yearn to connect yet loose direction when I think on how to connect. It seems easier as an idea yet to perform it seems so much harder! The span of time people take to open up and the span of time they take to curl back in at the sight of differences is slow and fast. Your insights are always to simple to grasp. Would you talk about it one day too?.. Thanks for this one nonetheless!

Nathaniel, thank you for this beautiful video. Before watching this I had been trying ways to improve how I was feeling. What I found was similar to one of the stories that was shared, developing a garden. What I did this past week was go out and get my hands dirty in my garden. I found after weeding, turning the soil, planting seeds, I was feeling better. Usually in less than an hour. I’m going to continue doing to see how I feel each day. Keep making videos like this. This one validated what I was finding out about myself. Thank you again!

Once again the quality of filming, editing, and content overall is second to none. Thank you for putting your art into the world!

People are more lonely and depressed because of so many reasons. People have noticed life is meaningless and has absolutely no purpose. Life isn’t going anywhere and is absurd. People are recognizing more and more how the world is, politics, that things won’t change no matter who you vote for Studying and being competent are no guarantee of anything, as far as financial future and achievements are concerned. Actually being competent can bring you problems. A lot of people feel more and more miserable due to their slavery to the virtual world and the black mirror and they don’t know how to escape from it. All that and people don’t know how to deal with all these issues. These are some of the reasons why people are feeling like they are nowadays. Well, add to that the year 2020 and you have basically everything.

*We need each other even though we don't need know each other.* To all... Please keep and stay healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. God bless, keep safe, stay positive and take care always.

Nate, I just want to sincerely recognize the greatness of your content. It just keeps getting better. The way you put it all together just makes sense in every video of yours that I watch. It always gets stuck into my heart.

Great video, I liked the combination of your beautiful imagery, your own insights with the interviews of experts! Also, I Love The Holistic Psychologist, she really breaks the complex process of healing into doable steps.

Making real meaningful connections with like minded people is the hardest thing to do in this world

Ok, these comments are just sad. No don't say accept loneliness, depression or anxiety no they say fight the root cause. And the root cause is that we don't act on it, we need real connections with people around us. Emotional connection with them. So yes accept the feeling and dont judge yourself on it. But ACT on it. Find your tribe.

This popped up in my recommended right at the right time. I really needed to hear this! Thank you for being an inspiration for me and so many others!

woah your channel has provided to much to me when I needed it most, thank you dearly.

“ I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom. - Edgar Allan Poe Great work Nathaniel , very insightful video indeed! 🤔👽💡

pay attention "Awareness" Practice consciousness in daily life, Nurture good human connections All human emotions are valid

This is a really beautiful message and I needed to hear it. Thank you

I am loving this new format. I love your reflections on things, but the interviews are top notch as well. Thank you!

Been in lockdown so long I dont even know what I feel anymore..

I think this video is a masterpiece, everyone now day need to see that, the two point about creating a meaningfull relationship and observe ourselfes is so crucial for live a good and happy life, i'll try to do my best in this two things!! Thanks for this video, i love it and need it!

Thank you for sharing your amazing work with us! Thank you for speaking up for such an important thing! Thank you! 🌼🌼

I love what you did with this video. Opening yourself to us, sharing by the hands of experts, with your honesty and empathy it felt like a connection, a new way to feel connected, supported and felt really warm. Thanks a lot!

We feel lonely because we haven’t learned to enjoy our own company. There can be solace in solitude if you allow it.