You have been invited to a party, and you know only the host and hostess. Other people seem to be friendly and know each other. No one seems to be interested in you. They don't seem to be seeing you as a person. Your host and hostess are busy with others. You feel neglected and rejected. Sounds familiar?

Almost anyone would have the same feeling under these circumstances. This is because the mere presence of other people is not a sufficient condition for us to overcome loneliness.

Loneliness exists when you lack companions for excursions and activities outside of the home. You want to go see a movie, but there is no one you know who will go with you. Perhaps you go alone, but the pleasure of seeing the movie is greatly diminished. You want to have dinner out. You are forced to go to a family restaurant by yourself. The sight of couples eating and parents fussing with their children aggravates your sense of loneliness.

What can you do in such a situation? You may be feeling helpless, but something ought to be done. The first step in such agitation should be to avoid thinking for sometime during a day. Involve yourself in some activity that takes your mind away from itself. Any activity that will engross you completely. A good movie, a good novel, some magazines, a show, any activity that takes the mind away will give some peace.

The next step would be to find out if anyone you know, is also facing such a state? How does one do that? For this you will have to shift your attention from yourself to others. Begin listening to others. Ask them about their problems and listen. You may probably find that there are few others who are also in the same boat. Even if you are not religious, try to talk to God. Tell him about what all goes on in your life and your mind. Ask Him to help you.

One who feels lonely in the crowd of people, must first raise his/her self esteem. You must say - OK. Other than God, no one will understand what I am facing. That is OK. I will set some exciting goals for myself. I will try to achieve them. For me, my life is very important. I will live my life in such a way that I feel proud of it. I am a good person and I know that. I don't honestly care if others are not understanding me. I will try to understand their problems and help them. Rather than asking for help, let me start giving.

Sometimes, feeling lonely in a crowd is your subconscious mind telling you that, that particular crowd is not where you fit in. We all have different persona's and in being as this, we often make unwise choices in our need to befriend others. If you suddenly feel lonely in a crowd, remove yourself. Don't mentally beat yourself up over it. Simply come to terms with the fact that we all differ and this particular crowd isn't for you. Don't set yourself up for stress. Just walk away and look for a crowd that shares your similar interest and passion.