How loneliness and isolation are related?

Loneliness and isolation are often associated with one another.  They are two very different things, yet so similar in their appearance.  Loneliness stems from an internal feeling and/or perspective.  It is important to decipher the difference between being alone and feeling lonely.  For some, having alone time is of great value, whereas loneliness is not desirable.  You could be in a crowded room, full of people, and still feel lonely instead.  Typically, loneliness is due to feeling disconnected from other people; in a way, it feels misunderstood.  We as human beings desire to be connected to other human beings, but if we feel misunderstood in our minds, this can lead to feeling lonely.

Isolation is the physical aspect of being alone but more prolonged and intense in nature.  As mentioned, some prefer alone time here and there.  But complete isolation is to remove yourself from connecting to others altogether.  You may physically isolate yourself by staying in your home/bedroom.  Or you could emotionally isolate yourself by refraining from talking to family and loved ones. 

Isolation can be a result of the constant state of loneliness.  It is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you constantly feel lonely, you may isolate yourself from others.  If you are psychologically experiencing loneliness, then you are likely to remove yourself from others physically.  In a sense, the act of isolating yourself reinforces the feeling of loneliness.  You may even go out of your way to avoid any social connection, dodging phone calls and texts from people reaching out. 

Unfortunately, the act of isolation will exacerbate the feeling of loneliness, so this type of cycle can be very emotionally harmful to encounter.  During difficult times like this, it is important to have a way to cope with that feeling of loneliness to avoid prolonged periods of isolation.  Sometimes this could be journaling to process your emotions causing you to feel this loneliness; it could be getting linked with a therapist to get advice or even calling an emotional hotline to vent out those feelings with someone available to hear you out fully.