Depression, anxiety, and many more mental health issues are only worsened through isolation. A support system can help manage many of the symptoms related to these issues. Spending time with friends gets us out of our heads and prevents the negative self-talk and delusional beliefs that everyone hates us. Going out into the world and finding fun with others prevents us from the avoidance that often worsens anxiety. Support systems are one of the main pillars of good mental health.
The problem with support systems is that they will always slowly dwindle over time without intervention. People will move away, move on, change in their own needs, and eventually pass away. All relationships end. That is what makes each one so special. We choose to engage in relationships knowing that one day we will not have that relationship. We actively choose the pain of grief later for the love of relationships in the time we have them.
It is paramount to continue to grow your circle and find more and more friends through life. It is not healthy to only connect to one person for everything and every emotional need. This leads into the issue of codependency (which I will discuss in another post). It is also incredibly difficult to build support systems from zero as compared to one. Even having one person in our life makes it easier to reach out to others. Think about applying for a job when you already have a job. You are much more desirable when you don’t need the other option.
If you do have to build your support system from zero, there is still hope. Put yourself in public places. Go to places that have the activities you enjoy. Be around other people enough and other people will notice you and talk to you. This is difficult, but it’s not impossible. Try speaking to someone new this week. Give it a shot and see what comes of it. Practice communication with someone you used to know better to reignite conversation and practice these skills. Don’t let your support system dwindle. Don’t let it remain zero if it has reached that point.