Loneliness is a universal human emotion that is both complex and unique to each individual.
Why are people lonely?
Loneliness can happen due to changes in circumstances.
A lack of meaningful connections also contributes to loneliness, which is why you can feel lonely even if you have a wide social network. Maybe you have a lot of casual friends and fill your time with social activities but don’t feel too close to anyone. Living with mental or physical health issues can also increase risk for loneliness. Sometimes social activities demand too much emotional or physical energy, and you might end up cancelling more plans than you keep.
Eventually, a continued lack of social connection might make you feel even worse.
Loneliness vs. Solitude
While research clearly shows that loneliness and isolation are bad for both mental and physical health, being alone is not the same as being lonely. In fact, solitude actually has a number of important mental health benefits, including allowing people to better focus and recharge.
Loneliness is marked by feelings of isolation despite wanting social connections.
Solitude, on the other hand, is voluntary. People who enjoy spending time by themselves continue to maintain positive social relationships that they can return to when they crave connection. They still spend time with others, but these interactions are balanced with periods of time alone.
Types of loneliness
There are 3 types of loneliness i.e., situational loneliness, developmental loneliness and internal loneliness.
- Situational Loneliness: The various factors associated with situational loneliness are environmental factors (unpleasant experiences, discrepancy between the levels of his/her needs), migration of people, inter personal conflicts, accidents and disasters, etc.
- Developmental Loneliness: The various factors associated with developmental loneliness are personal inadequacies, developmental deficits, significant separations, poverty, living arrangements, and physical/psychological disabilities
- Internal Loneliness: The various factors associated with internal loneliness are personality factors, locus of control, mental distress, low self-esteem, guilt feeling, and poor coping strategies with situations
Emotional loneliness defined by the absence of an attachment figure and social isolation, characterized by the absence of a social network.
Symptoms
If you’re lonely, you may feel sad, empty, or as if you’re lacking something important when you spend time by yourself. Chronic loneliness can also involve the following symptoms:
- decreased energy
- feeling foggy or unable to focus
- insomnia, interrupted sleep, or other sleep issues
- decreased appetite
- feelings of self-doubt, hopelessness, or worthlessness
- a tendency to get sick frequently
- body aches and pains
- feelings of anxiousness or restlessness
- increased shopping
- substance misuse
- increased desire to binge-watch shows or movies
- cravings for physical warmth, such as hot drinks, baths, or cozy clothes and blankets
Health Risks Associated with Loneliness
Loneliness has a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health, including:
- Alcohol and drug misuse
- Altered brain function
- Antisocial behaviour
- Cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Decreased memory and learning
- Depression and suicide
- Increased stress levels
- Poor decision-making
Treatment
While loneliness may not be a diagnosable condition, you can still get help dealing with feelings of loneliness.
Finding the best way to address loneliness often depends on what’s causing it. For example:
- You might have trouble getting to know people, whether they’re new friends or potential romantic partners.
- You may have just moved to a new city and miss your old haunts.
- You may have a lot of casual relationships but none that seem meaningful.
- You might have feelings of self-doubt, low self-esteem, or social anxiety that get in the way of building connections with others.
In all cases, talking to a therapist can help you find ways to make changes. If you’re dealing with mental or physical health issues that isolate you or worsen feelings of loneliness, getting help for these issues can help by making it easier for you to reach out to others.
If feelings of loneliness linger, it may be a good idea to reach out to your healthcare provider or a mental health professional.
Also consider getting help if:
- feelings of loneliness negatively affect your daily life or make it hard to do the things you want to do
- you have a low mood or feelings of depression
- you have symptoms of another mental health concern, such as anxiety or depression
- physical health symptoms don’t go away after a few weeks, get worse, or affect your daily life
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