Yorick was only seventeen years old when he was removed from his home. He ended up in a closed institution, but he could not stay there. He didn’t know where to go next. Yorick was homeless. He stayed with friends or rented a room temporarily. In total he moved 27 times. Loneliness slowly took over his life. “I just wanted to go home.” Yet Yorick managed to get out. Now he helps other young people through his Not Alone Foundation.
Yorick is actually a very social person, he says. Even during that difficult period in his life, he was often among people. “Still, I felt lonely. Many of the friends from that time were not real friends. We drank or smoked cannabis together, but nothing more,” he explains. “If I was home alone at the end of the day, I felt lonely.” Five years ago, Yorick moved to Zoetermeer. He wanted to end his old life of drugs and crime and make a new start. “I wanted peace around me. But then suddenly I was alone in a new city. I was lonelier than ever. I still didn’t have that inner peace.”
A step in the right direction
Yorick decided to join a support group for people in recovery from addiction. There he met new people, but it was not possible to make that connection right away. “You are used to seeking out people like you, with the same clothing style and taste in music. The people in that group didn’t feel like my people at first; I looked at the differences instead of the similarities.” Yet Yorick now sees that joining that group was the first step in the right direction.
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Participate
Because Yorick still met people for a few hours every week and talked about his loneliness and addiction. “I started participating more and more.” Yorick also made music. He wrote the song Not Alone, about his recovery and how there is always someone who feels the same. “You can always work it out.” He realized that he wanted to help others overcome their loneliness and sadness. That’s why he aimed Not Alone Foundation on, an organization that helps young people who struggle with loneliness, but also with problems at home or drugs. “Basically anyone who is labeled as ‘difficult’,” he says.
Helping others
The support group and his music helped Yorick to overcome his own loneliness. The foundation, he says, was the last push he needed. “It gave me purpose. Before this, I earned money with odd jobs and trades, purely to survive. That didn’t give me any satisfaction. Now I’m doing something I believe in.” Yorick gives workshops on behalf of the foundation and guides young people in Zoetermeer and beyond.
Fight loneliness
What does Yorick think can help others tackle loneliness? “Find an outlet. That could be music, but also sports, poetry, walking: whatever you want. And look for people. For example, do you like to practice sports? Then join an association so that you can meet people in an accessible way.” But the most important thing according to Yorick is talking. “How hard it may be. Because if you stay stuck in your own head, you will go crazy. You’ll be surprised how many people are open to a conversation.”
Need help?
Do you sometimes feel lonely? Would you like to get in touch with others, but you don’t know how? Check this website for more information about loneliness and where you can go.