Feel alone after you just spent time with people? You might be dealing with "contrast loneliness."

By now, it’s common knowledge that we’re facing a loneliness epidemic. You’ve probably come across the go-to advice for anyone feeling lonely: Get out there and hang out with people. Join a running group or book club. Get dinner with your friends. Exchange pleasantries with the barista.

But what happens when the prescription for loneliness becomes the very thing that causes it?

If you’ve ever come home after spending time with others only to find yourself feeling sad, you have likely experienced “contrast loneliness”.

Los Angeles-based therapist Lindsey Rae Ackerman told HuffPost that this phenomenon is also called post-social loneliness – and it’s not uncommon.

Helene D’Jay, a licensed professional counsellor and the executive director of young adult services at Newport Healthcare, shared that it’s a total misconception to believe that being surrounded by others makes it impossible to be lonely. You can feel lonely while you are hanging out with others as well as afterward, she explained.

Understanding why post-social loneliness happens and what to do about it can help with figuring out the type of social interactions that can be most meaningful to you, making feeling this way less likely.

What causes contrast loneliness?

First, it’s important to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you if you feel lonely after hanging out with people.

“It’s normal to feel this way from time to time. It’s not realistic to expect every single interaction with a friend to be amazing,” said Kasley Killam, a Harvard-trained social scientist and author of The Art and Science of Connection.

That said, some people are more prone to feeling this way than others. Killam said introverts may be more likely to experience contrast loneliness because they’re more prone to feeling tired and in need of alone time to recharge their social batteries after too much stimulation or after spending time with people they don’t feel a close connection with.

“Individuals who are........

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