The difference between "solitude" and "isolation"

Q. Dear Mary, ever since I was a child, I have never been able to fit in with group activities. Dealing with others superficially, I can get along with people. But when I am invited to go out somewhere together or to lunch with them, I always make up some excuse and decline. I keep becoming friends with people, and then drifting apart from them. Recently, everyone around me seems to be gathering, but I am not invited by anyone. I just go back and forth between home and work. In the middle of the night, I suddenly feel a wave of anxiety caused by loneliness, and tears overflow and I can't sleep. Will I be alone like this forever? (Kate, 38)

A. If I have to answere yes or no, the answere is no. There are two kinds of loneliness. That is "solitude" and "isolation." These two depend on how you look at yourself from the inside. Refusing invitations from those around you is "solitude." There's a sense of security there, right? On the other hand, "isolation" means that you are the only one who wasn't invited while everyone else is planning to play. Naturally, you feel anxious. If you're starting to feel lonely, it's a sign that something positive is happening in your mind. But don't be rush. First of all, be close to your feelimgs. Let's start there.