The Moment I Felt Most Alone

You are not alone in feeling alone. Kind of a contradictory sentiment but absolutely 100% true.

In putting together the Lonely Girls' Club, I've talked to lots of people about loneliness. And it is clear that no one is immune – not even that girl on Instagram with the perfect girl group surrounding her. It's a cruel feeling that seeps into everyone's life at some point, regardless of their circumstances. But because it's not cool to talk about it, no one knows that it's not just affecting them.

Scrolling through social media, it can be hard to rationalise this. How on earth could any of these smiling, happy people surrounded by equally happy friends ever feel the crushing emptiness you experience when you feel like you have no one to talk to? How could any of these people with their lives so 'together' understand the physical ache that flickers across your body from not being touched by another human being?

To try and help break down the taboo of loneliness, I asked women from across the Refinery29 world to share their loneliest moments. The results made for a tough read but ultimately reinforced the fact that, at any given moment, anyone might be feeling lonely – they just might be finding it tough to share.

Click through to have a read.