We’ve all had days where we feel super lonelythey really suck.
As that gap gets larger, we describe that as greater and greater loneliness."
Whilelonelydays are no fun, they’re common.
Verywell / Julie Bang
So, don’t feel too bummed out if you’ve been feeling a bit lonely lately.
So, there are many factors andlife eventsthat can make us feel lonely.
At a Glance
Loneliness is a common human experience.
Making the time to connect with yourself and others can help make you feel less alone.
But loneliness doesn’t have one look.
We can be lonely even when we’reactively engaging in conversation with others.
it’s possible for you to’t objectively measure it."
So, you’ve got the option to’t tell that someone is lonely just by looking at them.
To know for sure they’d actually have to tell you thatthey feel lonely.
As that gap gets larger, we describe that as greater and greater loneliness."
So, How Does Loneliness Differ From Being Alone?
“Being alone is the objective state of being isolated,” says Dr. Nobel.
Remember the earlier example of someone being by themself in their bedroom?
That’s what isolation looks like because no one else is physically there in that space with them.
you’ve got the option to’t tell that someone is lonely just by looking at them.
But just because someone is physically alone doesn’t mean that they’re lonely.
Why Do We Get Lonely?
We get lonely for many different reasons.
The factors that contribute to feelings of loneliness determine thetypeof loneliness we’re feeling at a given moment.
Research shows that long-haul truck drivers, professional golfers, andcaregiversare likely to experience social loneliness.
Studying abroadcan also cause social loneliness.
When studentsgo to another countryto get a degree they might, understandably, feel disconnected from their culture.
This is calledcultural loneliness,and it’s a form of social loneliness.
Loneliness invades our lives in lots of ways.
People living with disabilities or mental health conditions may also feel a sense of exclusion from others.
Those thoughts can make you feel profoundly alone.
In those moments, we may think about our life’s purpose and how we fit into the world.
In other words, existential loneliness is next-level loneliness.
He says, “[Loneliness] literallychanges how our brains work, so we start to withdraw.
American Psychiatric Association.Taking on the Public Health Threat of Loneliness and Social Isolation.
2021;18(21):11522.
Published 2021 Nov 2. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111522
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions.
