Mothers Admit Parenthood Creates Loneliness and Isolation

It’s lonely being a mother, more so than many of us would care to admit. But research out today revealed that more than 2,000 UK parents spilled their worries about isolation to ChannelMum.com.

According to the website’s findings, 92 per cent of mums feel lonely. Many say they try to hide their feelings, even from their own partner.

Despite social media and online parenting forums, 80 per cent said they really wanted more friends, but a 30 per cent of those couldn’t even manage to take the first steps and initiate conversation with other parents.

Feelings of loneliness amongst mums is causing increasing anxiety, with a staggering 47 per cent admitting to feeling very stressed in their isolation. This leads to a cascade of agoraphobia, turning to alcohol, self-harm and even taking their unhappiness out on the children.

Founder of ChannelMum.com, Siobhan Freegard said: “We all know having a child takes a physical toll on your body, but it can take a mental toll too. It’s terrifying that in our connected ‘always on’ society, nine in ten mums still feel isolated and lonely, often with deeply troubling consequences.

“Being a mum can be tough but we need to remember there is more that unites us than divides us. Scratch the surface and us mums are going through the same fears, worries and joys.”