On Loneliness: How to Feel Less Alone In an Isolating World

Terri Laxton Brooks' book explores the hidden story of a successful professional who struggles with loneliness despite having many friends and family. After her marriage falls apart, she moves to New York City, where she discovers the love of interviewing and researching to cope with her loneliness. Through therapy and conversations with psychologists, she learns to live comfortably with her loneliness and use it to her advantage.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: She Writes Press

In this captivating and thought-provoking book, Terri Laxton Brooks delves into the hidden world of a successful professional who, despite having a vibrant social life, has battled an unspoken loneliness throughout her life. Terri believed that her marriage to her childhood sweetheart and their move from a farm town to the bustling city of Chicago would finally bring an end to her feelings of isolation. However, as the initial excitement of newlywed love faded, her husband, known for his reserved nature, became even more emotionally distant. To mask her loneliness, Terri threw herself into her new role as a reporter for a Chicago paper, burying herself under a flurry of bylines and deadlines. Yet, deep down, she couldn't shake the persistent sense of failure to connect with others, not just as a wife but also as a daughter, friend, and colleague.

As Terri's life spiraled into despair, she contemplated taking her own life. But a decision to relocate to New York City would turn her world upside down in ways she never could have imagined. It pushed her to confront her loneliness head-on, and in a moment of desperation, she found solace in her love for interviewing, researching, and hearing people's stories.

Through the course of therapy, Terri embarked on a four-year journey of soul-searching conversations with some of America's foremost psychologists and psychiatrists. She sought answers to the question of how to cope with loneliness, understanding that it was a natural and necessary stage of healthy growth. She delved into the intimate details of her dreams, past traumas, and role in her own loneliness, gaining a profound understanding of herself and her condition.

What Terri discovered was that loneliness could be a powerful tool rather than a source of despair. She learned to embrace it as a part of her identity and use it to her advantage. She discovered that by opening herself up to others, she could form deeper connections and find meaning and purpose in her life. Terri's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of self-discovery. It encourages readers to confront their own loneliness, embrace it as a catalyst for growth, and find solace in the connections that truly matter.

Weight: 286g
Dimension: 140 x 216 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781647422875