Human contact is extremely important to our wellbeing. Our life experience depends on a lot on human interaction in some way or another. Without it, we are subjected to isolated loneliness. We’re not meant to survive on our own. We need each other, we need to be connected.
Feeling lonely can send us in a dark spiral. Sometimes we can get stuck in wedge of feeling lonely but not wanting to socialize at the same time. Almost like we would rather stay in our loneliness. There’s a definite correlation between loneliness and mental disorders. There’s the common notion that someone is depressed because they have a mental disorder; however, there are mental disorders that are actually caused by or exacerbated by loneliness. This does not mean all mental disorders are caused by loneliness. It can also still be a symptom in other conditions.
Depression and loneliness is not a surprising combination. The two are commonly seen hand in hand. However, a study has shown that loneliness is actually a better predictor than depression itself. Feelings of loneliness show up way sooner than actual symptoms of depression.
Social anxiety is another one. What’s interesting is that people with social anxiety are seen to have very good social skills; in fact, better than some people without social anxiety. So their chosen isolation and avoidance is not because of their inability to socialize, but rather the fear of messing things up. This creates a cycle of isolation and fear of isolation.
Addiction and loneliness do not go well together. If an addict was already feeling lonely before the substance abuse, it strengthens the addiction because it becomes a way to feel the connection they were lacking in the first place. This is a vicious relationship, because an addict becomes more bonded to the substance rather than a meaningful healthy connection to someone else.
Hoarding also has a correlation with loneliness. People feel a strong relationship to things they collect. So strong, they can’t let go. There is a sense of emptiness or loss within, which they try to fill by filling up their surroundings with things. Usually the first step to moving past hoarding behaviors is to look at those empty feelings and loneliness.
If you or a loved one is struggling with feelings of loneliness and/or symptoms of a mental disorder, please contact a medical professional at Crownview Medical Group for some helpful advice. We are trained to provide individualized treatment and therapy for mental health and wellbeing.
Sources:
http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/cacioppo/pa2010cht.pdf
