The Loneliness Solution with Paula Fontenelle


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Sep 29 2020 40 mins   5

In this episode #133, I talk with Paula Fontenelle, therapist, author, podcaster. Paula shares her story of going through perimenopause and things you can do when you are experiencing loneliness.

Topics discussed:

  • How her sleep changed going through the beginning of perimenopause
  • Her sleep solutions and what is working
  • Her perimenopause journey and how she feels today
  • Understanding your body and your aging process
  • How Paula didn’t experience perimenopause symptoms
  • Finding something that works
  • Why loneliness is evolutionary
  • How and why our brains and body react to loneliness
  • The fight, flight and freeze response and what happens during this time
  • The health problems that come from long-term loneliness
  • Drinking because of loneliness and panic attacks
  • Feeling lonely around other people
  • How loneliness turns into isolation and withdrawal
  • The pain of loneliness and embracing solitude as an antidote
  • Slowing down during COVID and re-evaluating your values in life
  • How to use social media to help you stay connected, not substitute in-real-life relationships

Book mentioned: Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker

Paula Fontenelle is a Brazilian journalist who decided to change careers after the death of her father to suicide, in 2005. Since then, she has finished a training in Psychoanalysis, in Brazil, and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health, in Portland/OR. Today she works as a therapist at Life Counseling, in McMinnville, Oregon. As part of what she considers her mission, she hosts a podcast and a YouTube Channel called Understand Suicide, which has listeners from over sixty countries. She is the author of the book Understanding Suicide: Living with loss, paths to prevention (finalist of the Brazilian Book Award).

To find Paula:

Understand Suicide website

Understand Suicide Podcast

Understanding Suicide: Living With Loss. Paths to Prevention.

Join To 50 and Beyond & Friends Patreon

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