How loneliness and mental health are related?

Loneliness is a common experience, but for many people, it can become an overwhelming and empty feeling that interferes with the ability to enjoy. The experience of feeling lonely can be different for each person, and the feeling of being lonely doesn’t have a single cause, so addressing it varies from situation to situation. Loneliness isn’t necessarily about actually being alone; feeling alone and isolated can occur whether you’re actually alone or not.

Research shows that loneliness is an ever-increasing problem in the United States. The rise of the internet and social media are considered in part to blame for the issue of loneliness. 

Researchers have defined loneliness as feeling lonely more than one time each week. This experience can cause people to feel empty, unwanted, rejected, or unloved. Human contact may be something that someone experiencing loneliness craves. Still, because they may believe that no one cares or wants to spend time with them, it may be very difficult for them to cultivate relationships and make contact.

There are many health and mental health risks associated with experiencing loneliness. These include cardiovascular disease, poor memory and learning, antisocial behavior, alcohol and substance use, depression, high stress levels, and poor decision-making skills.

Some research indicates that lonely people may also experience less efficient sleep, fatigue in the daytime, and poorer diets than people who aren’t lonely.

Research indicates it isn’t about the number of friends or connections a person has but rather about the quality of those interactions. Overcoming loneliness requires effort and awareness to make changes. Some ways to decrease feelings of loneliness are:

• Engaging in community service for a sense of connection to the community.
• Examine your expectations and watch out for thinking traps. Lonely people tend to expect rejection and perceive it even where it doesn’t exist.
• Home in on the relationships that you do have and devote time to them.
• Take classes on subjects or enroll in activities that you like to create a sense of belonging among people with shared interests.
• Take responsibility for how your thoughts and expectations may impact your choices and how your choices may influence your ability to connect with others.