Digital Only: Young Adults
Anxiety Making You Feel Isolated? These 3 Tips Can Help
The author lives in American Samoa.
My struggle with loneliness and anxiety has brought me closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and helped me understand my place in the gospel.
Sometimes, feeling like you belong as a young single adult is hard.
A lot of the time I feel out of place. I am trying to build my own life, but I still feel responsibility for taking care of my family. And while I want to connect with others, I feel myself slowly pulling away from them and the things I love to do.
Right now, my anxiety disorder makes it difficult for me to do all these things while still feeling a sense of belonging. This is often at the root of many of my challenges.
Anxiety makes me want to write my thoughts down in a journal rather than connect with others, mostly because I feel like no one understands my experience. Here in American Samoa, mental health isn’t talked about a lot. I feel like others have a “toughen up” attitude when I try to explain my struggle with anxiety. So, instead of asking for help, I isolate myself.
However, my struggle with anxiety has taught me just how important connections with others are, especially with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Here are a few ways my struggle with anxiety has brought me closer to Heavenly Father and helped me realize that I truly do belong in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Expanding the Power of Prayer
Although I’ve always struggled with anxiety, this challenge has become a lot tougher in young adulthood as I’m facing new opportunities and lots of change. Living with this constant fear and worry makes me sometimes doubt my self-worth and that I am loved.
However, something that has helped me truly realize that I belong is speaking with Heavenly Father through prayer.
As President M. Russell Ballard (1928–2023) counseled: “Prayer can change our own lives. Motivated by sincere prayer, we can improve and help others to do the same.”1
Because of anxiety, I have relied on prayer a lot, and this has helped me deepen both my relationship with Heavenly Father and my faith that He hears all prayers. My prayers have truly become more meaningful over time as I’ve dealt with this challenge and relied on Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father for help.
I talk to Heavenly Father about my feelings, my day, my worries—anything, really. Even if He doesn’t take the anxious thoughts and feelings away, when I turn to Him for help, I feel like His hand is on my shoulder and He reassures me that He is with me.
He helps me know that I am His and that I’m not alone.
Deepening Understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Out of all the principles of the gospel, one that I have the strongest testimony of is the healing power of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
When I recognize how the Savior has helped me, I’m able to feel a sense of belonging and the assurance that I am known. My struggle with anxiety motivates me to seek out the comforting presence of the Spirit, and because of this, I’m always engaging with small and simple spiritual habits (see Alma 37:6) every day to draw Christ’s power into my life.
Having faith in His grace and sacrifice truly is the greatest key I need to tackle all of life’s hardships and challenges. As He taught, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), which, to me, means no darkness we experience can smother His light.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also lovingly taught the importance of seeking out tools for those struggling with mental health, saying: “Seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values. Be honest with them about your history and your struggles. Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give and the solutions they prescribe. Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all the marvelous gifts He has provided in this glorious dispensation.”2
With the Savior’s support, we will see the light forward.
Developing Meaningful Connections
Not too long ago, I was struggling so much with anxiety. But instead of withdrawing from others, I prayed to Heavenly Father for help, and the Spirit helped me see a life-changing truth:
We need each other.
Even though anxiety can make me want to withdraw from others, isolating myself is not what Heavenly Father wants for me. The adversary wants us to feel disconnected—that we don’t belong, especially in our challenges. But when I rely on the Savior to give me strength to reach out to my siblings or friends about my challenges, they respond with love and help me keep moving forward.
I have seen that when we are all willing to connect with one another (especially when we would rather quietly distance ourselves), we can feel that sense of belonging—that sense of togetherness and hope in Christ.
Gospel of Belonging
I don’t know why some challenges have to be so hard. But I do know that through my experiences with anxiety, I have been able to deepen my testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and our need for connection. After finding help through the gospel and mental health tools, I can better see that I really do have a place in the gospel of Jesus Christ—that everyone does, no matter their circumstances.
I know there is always room for improvement in helping everyone feel loved in the Church, especially young adults. But I continue to see miracles happen.
If you struggle with mental health challenges, I hope you know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of healing, of joy, and of, most importantly, belonging—for all of Heavenly Father’s children.
I feel that truth in my heart.