Loneliness- At some point, each one of us would have encountered loneliness. According to the study conducted by AW Foundation New Delhi, 2017 suggest that- “Loneliness increases the risk of early death by 14%”. It is an extremely unusual and unpleasant state of mind, where the individual feels mixed emotions of anxiety and isolation from reality.
What everyone thinks:
Common definitions describe loneliness is nothing but being alone. Actually, that isn’t, the individual battles a complex ratio of feeling guilt, low self-esteem, anxiety and isolated inside mind. For example, consider a boy moved to a new school. He feels more anxious, low sense of belongingness, detached from the crowd. The state of composing the contract to the exact scenario of reality is loneliness.
Causes:
Causes can differ person to person with respect to their emotions, appetite, social support and environment. It can be characterized into three classes according to its causes.
Situational loneliness:
It is caused by the influence of socio-economic and cultural phenomena that contribute to situational loneliness. Factors like awkward experiences, inferiority complex in their needs and accidents develop this type.
Developmental loneliness:
Sometimes the life events that make an individual develop loneliness such as relationship conflicts, loss of adored one, lifestyle arrangement, personal flaws, affluence (abundance of wealth) and etc. In this case, the individual carries a higher chance of developing psychological disorders like insomnia, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and chronic depression.
Internal loneliness:
In this case, the individual performs to amplify loneliness on his own by using his internal thoughts. Loss of insight, low- self-esteem, loss of mind control, mental distress, poor coping tacts, fear of rejection.
What’s lagging:
Unlike other developed countries like America, Australia, Europe we aren’t aware of the factor called mental well-being. For a country like India, it needs more focus, where the knowledge about loneliness, anxiety, and depression aren’t strong enough.
Tips to overcome:
Note both physical and mental consequences that loneliness has on your life.
1. Remember that loneliness is an indication that something needs to change.
2. It is important to talk about the problem to someone who you feel trustworthy.
3. Join the social community where you can share and discuss the issues.
4. Focus and continue to develop some quality relationships with the people who feel comfortable with you.
5. Get volunteered outing with colleagues, friends or adored one.
How to deal better?
Therapies like CBT (Cognitive-behavioral therapy), depression group therapy and anxiety group therapy to help the individual by trained professionals. The coping mechanism is predictable and manageable when it is handled with the guide of professional.