Chronic Loneliness
Symptoms
Health risks
Symptoms
Symptoms of loneliness and social isolation can vary greatly depending on your individual situation and identity.
You may be experiencing chronic loneliness if you consistently feel some or all of the following: * Increases in social withdrawal from family and friends, leading to a lack of community engagement. * An inability to connect with others on a deep level. * No close friend who truly understands you. * Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness. * A sense of disconnect from the world around you. * Heightened anxiety. * Feelings of worthlessness. * A sense of being unheard or that you don't matter. * An increased reliance on technology for social interaction.
Causes
Health risks
Symptoms
Feelings of not being grounded, or detached from yourself, environment or your purpose in life can cause chronic loneliness. environment, The lack of feeling connected can feel as if you are just going through the motions to get through a day.
Chronic loneliness occurs from the lack of meaningful relationships. Causes can be situational, such as the death of a loved-one, moving, a job change. It can also develop from experiencing childhood trauma, anxiety, or having a chronic illness or mobility issue. Also feelings of not being loved, understood, or a lack of "mattering" or not valued by others.
Health risks
Health risks
Health risks
Loneliness is not just a feeling; it can lead to chronic loneliness, which has long-term effects on your body and brain. The chronic stress of chronic loneliness increases the risk of significant mental and physical issues including
*heart disease, *depression, *Type 2 diabetes, *anxiety *stroke, *obesity *higher mortality rates, *and even dementia.
Fundamentally, humans are social beings with a need for connectedness for our physical and emotional well-being!
Much of our happiness comes from the relationships we have and deep friendships foster a longer life of quality.
Social isolaton
Symptoms
Health risks
Symptoms
Have you noticed yourself or someone you care about canceling social plans more frequently and feel relieved? Or perhaps not making any plans to get together with people?
While loneliness is a feeling of disconnect, social isolation is when you feel a lack of social support or contact with others.
Causes
Health risks
Symptoms
Social media is a useful tool to stay connected with friends and families and like minded communities. However, research shows high usage can lead to a higher risk to socially isolate. The interactions through social media most often lacks the depth for meaningful engagement, depending on "likes" for validation of self-worth. Teens are es
Social media is a useful tool to stay connected with friends and families and like minded communities. However, research shows high usage can lead to a higher risk to socially isolate. The interactions through social media most often lacks the depth for meaningful engagement, depending on "likes" for validation of self-worth. Teens are especially at risk to develop anxiety and low-self esteem when "likes" are low.
But digital communication is not the only risk factor that can lead to social isolation. Having a chronic illness or caring for someone with a chronic illness can cause isolation, especially those supporting someone living with a dementia at home. Other reasons people isolate is not being emotionally prepared to retire. Children leaving home can create a void. Also people living alone, the loss of a loved one including a pet can self-isolation.
Health risks
Health risks
Health risks
Much like the health consequences not addressing the symptoms of chronic loneliness, social isolation shares many of the same risks such as*early mortality *coronary artery disease *stoke *high blood pressure *a weaker immune system *obesity *chronic inflammation *depression *anxiety *