Loneliness is a curious thing. Most of us can remember feeling most lonely when we were surrounded b

y people. Everyone has experienced at same time that utter sense of isolation that comes over you when you are at a party or in an audience at a lecture. It suddenly seems to you as if everybody knows everybody else, everybody is sure of himself？ everybody that is, except you.

The feeling pf loneliness which can overcome you when you are m a crowd is very difficult to get rid of. People living alone are advised to tackle their loneliness by joining a club or society, by going out and meeting people. Does it really help？

There are no easy solutions. Your first day at work, or at a new school or university, is atypical situation in which you are likely to feel lonely. You feel that everybody else is full of confidence and knows what to do, but you are adrift and helpless. The fact of the matter is that, in order to survive, we all put on a show of self-confidence to hide our uncertainties and doubts.

In a big city it is particularly easy to get the feeling that everybody except you is leading a full, rich and busy life. Everybody is going somewhere, and you tend to assume that they are going somewhere nice and interesting whereas your destination is less exciting and fulfdling.