The Impact of Loneliness
Emptiness, feeling isolated, like you are the only one. Maybe you feel like the only one in the world or feel unworthy of connection. Should our goal be never to feel lonely? Or can we recognize that it is also a part of the human experience from time to time?
With World Mental Health Day happening this month, let’s look at one of the factors that can impact our mental health over time.
Over the last few years, studies have indicated that loneliness has become a public health concern, with many people stating they feel increasingly lonely and isolated, to the extent that terms like “epidemic of loneliness” have been used to describe it.
What are some factors that contribute to loneliness?
There are several, but what stands out frequently may be a lack of support in these modern times, even though technology has made it easier than ever to connect, we are at the same time, somewhat disconnected. We may have friends or family but perhaps they live too far away, or we have hundreds of friends on social media, but we rarely see them in real life. Maybe we are too busy looking at social media and comparing ourselves and thinking that we don’t fit in, so then we isolate ourselves, which increases the very feelings we want to avoid, and then we start feeling stuck. Other factors that come into play are financial difficulties or health issues that prevent us from reaching out for help.
What are the effects of loneliness?
Loneliness can lead to increased feelings of depression or anxiety impacting our emotional well-being and even our physical health. Studies have also shown that chronic levels of loneliness can affect the levels of stress hormones in our bodies, and as we all know, stress can also take a toll on us.
It may be easy to say, well if you feel lonely go find some people and you won’t feel lonely anymore, but often I hear others say that they are around others but still feel isolated or lonely, they feel they can’t connect with others or are yearning for deeper more meaningful connections, which often take some time to build.
Is there something beneath the loneliness?
Sometimes we feel lonely, but other emotions are swirling below the surface. For example, we could be frustrated, ashamed, disappointed, sad, or perhaps grieving a loss, these can also trigger emotions that coincide with feelings of loneliness and impact our levels of depression or anxiety. Taking time to ask yourself what other emotions may be swirling beneath the surface of loneliness and not being critical of yourself is a small step to being more aware and coping. We can all experience loneliness at certain times in our lives, but if it grows in your daily experience and persists, it could help to reach out and speak to someone.
If you are looking for a space to speak with someone about loneliness or perhaps other struggles you may be experiencing, consider giving counseling a try by reaching out and contacting me here.
