Loneliness today is amongst the leading health risks right alongside the alarming factors such as air pollution, substance use, heart diseases. Studies have shown a significant correlation between loneliness and the prognosis of psychological conditions like depression, anxiety, degrees of alcoholism, mood disorders and more. Loneliness can further deteriorate already existing mental health issues resulting in comorbidities or pathology.
Chaitra Nanjunda, Counselling Psychologist, Lissun says, “The recent trends have glorified Loneliness as a concept of living by themselves and one of an empowering and developing one. Without taking into account the cons of social isolation. Loneliness also can take a toll on individuals personality traits; it’s generally associated with higher levels of neuroticism whereas lower levels of extraversion and agreeableness. Individuals can become very inflexible and lose adaptability to minor changes in their lives.”
According to Nanjunda, “The effect of loneliness in romantic relationships was widely studied by experts and it was seen how it can result in interpersonal communication gaps, developing unhealthy patterns of overly relying on their partners for feeling content and burdening them with constant companionship. Loneliness of individuals can get very heavy on their partners to effectively address and be dealt without damaging their relationship further.”
With all of these proven studies, it becomes crucial for us to take a look back on your social activities, take into consideration counter measures for loneliness. One such is often brushed off quite bluntly saying seek out and socialise with people, which may not be easy on individuals who have been accustomed to doing things on their own. One way to put this across more subtly is, it need not necessarily be a group of people. It could be a like minded person who likes doing the same thing as you, a person who likes to read in silence with you, another person who works in the same profession and who you can counsel with, another person who likes trying different cuisines as you do. The interval or the duration of these social meets need not be out of your comfort zone either, one could take it at a pace they are comfortable with.
“Self care is one such novel concept that’s trending with the younger generation where individuals tend to take themselves out for a coffee or the salon. It promotes the concept of pampering oneself for making up to all the difficult times they had to endure. This need not require a companion but one will still bring themselves out of their social isolation,” advises Nanjunda.
