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Loneliness
Loneliness has gradually become more prevalent today than it has in the past. Loneliness is harmful to have because of the negative health effects, it's hard to overcome it and it has no boundaries. It is time to become aware of what loneliness can do to an individual, what someone can do to destroy the feelings of loneliness and who can be affected by it.
Loneliness has shown to have negative side effects to physical and mental health. It has shown a direct connection to increased blood pressure, weight gain, diminished immunity and many more, which overall affects the quality of one’s life. In some cases, loneliness has declined the ability and motivation to perform daily activities, such as bathing, grooming and preparing meals. Some people even lose their interest in eating which ultimately leads to eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa* which can branch to many other negative effects which will dramatically affect their health.
Most people with feelings of loneliness gain weight because they do not often go out with family or friends, making themselves spend more time alone. When loneliness diminishes immunity, an individual is less likely to fight off bacteria and viruses. It would be extremely hard to remain healthy and if a serious disease is caught, there would be a possibility to never recover, resulting in permanent damage or mortality. It has been proven that, loneliness has the same effect on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, which makes it even more dangerous than obesity. Humans need to socialize to survive, so when socialization is not present in one’s life, it can have negative impacts on their mental health. Commonly, individuals that feel lonely are also clinically depressed. Depression is linked with dementia*, insufficient sleep, disrupted thoughts and many more. Being alone with depressed thoughts is dangerous because it could possibly lead to suicide attempts. Shockingly, researchers have recently seen a connection with loneliness and Alzheimer’s disease*.
Once someone has feelings of being lonely, it is hard to overcome those feelings. Most people who feel lonely try to resolve their problems by either surrounding themselves with others, finding connections through social media, or taking medications for other disorders and possibly more. To feel lonely, someone does not necessarily need to be alone. In some cases people can feel lonely even when surrounded by lots of people. Unfortunately, there are no medications for loneliness, but individuals can take medications for the negative health effects that come along with loneliness like depression, anxiety and insomnia*. Taking the medications can dramatically make loneliness less alarming to an individual’s health. Although medications can help, people who are lonely and isolated are less likely to take their medications correctly. However, there are small things people can do to possibly defeat the feelings of loneliness, like taking a class in their field of expertise or getting a dog as a pet for company, doing volunteer work in any NGO and anything they love to do such as painting, gardening etc. Loneliness has been seen in any person and can be shaped in many different ways. It can be seen no matter their age, geographical location, or background.
Conclusion: Loneliness is undeniably a silent killer. Loneliness is without a doubt dangerous and threatening. People that feel lonely are more prone to have physical and mental illnesses, it is difficult to destroy loneliness entirely, and hard to understand who it can affect. If one finds their loved ones or friends showing signs of loneliness, they need to be assisted and given attention.
- Sunita Pathania
Anorexia Nervosa*- Eating disorder. Extreme food restriction and an intense fear of gaining weight. A serious and potentially life- threatening disorder.
Dementia*- loss of cognitive functioning such as thinking, remembering and reasoning to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities.
Alzheimer's Disease*- a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
Insomnia*- a common sleep disorder. An individual has difficulty in falling asleep or getting good quality sleep.
© Sunita Pathania
#sunitapathania #loneliness #diseases
#physicalandmental #health
Loneliness has shown to have negative side effects to physical and mental health. It has shown a direct connection to increased blood pressure, weight gain, diminished immunity and many more, which overall affects the quality of one’s life. In some cases, loneliness has declined the ability and motivation to perform daily activities, such as bathing, grooming and preparing meals. Some people even lose their interest in eating which ultimately leads to eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa* which can branch to many other negative effects which will dramatically affect their health.
Most people with feelings of loneliness gain weight because they do not often go out with family or friends, making themselves spend more time alone. When loneliness diminishes immunity, an individual is less likely to fight off bacteria and viruses. It would be extremely hard to remain healthy and if a serious disease is caught, there would be a possibility to never recover, resulting in permanent damage or mortality. It has been proven that, loneliness has the same effect on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, which makes it even more dangerous than obesity. Humans need to socialize to survive, so when socialization is not present in one’s life, it can have negative impacts on their mental health. Commonly, individuals that feel lonely are also clinically depressed. Depression is linked with dementia*, insufficient sleep, disrupted thoughts and many more. Being alone with depressed thoughts is dangerous because it could possibly lead to suicide attempts. Shockingly, researchers have recently seen a connection with loneliness and Alzheimer’s disease*.
Once someone has feelings of being lonely, it is hard to overcome those feelings. Most people who feel lonely try to resolve their problems by either surrounding themselves with others, finding connections through social media, or taking medications for other disorders and possibly more. To feel lonely, someone does not necessarily need to be alone. In some cases people can feel lonely even when surrounded by lots of people. Unfortunately, there are no medications for loneliness, but individuals can take medications for the negative health effects that come along with loneliness like depression, anxiety and insomnia*. Taking the medications can dramatically make loneliness less alarming to an individual’s health. Although medications can help, people who are lonely and isolated are less likely to take their medications correctly. However, there are small things people can do to possibly defeat the feelings of loneliness, like taking a class in their field of expertise or getting a dog as a pet for company, doing volunteer work in any NGO and anything they love to do such as painting, gardening etc. Loneliness has been seen in any person and can be shaped in many different ways. It can be seen no matter their age, geographical location, or background.
Conclusion: Loneliness is undeniably a silent killer. Loneliness is without a doubt dangerous and threatening. People that feel lonely are more prone to have physical and mental illnesses, it is difficult to destroy loneliness entirely, and hard to understand who it can affect. If one finds their loved ones or friends showing signs of loneliness, they need to be assisted and given attention.
- Sunita Pathania
Anorexia Nervosa*- Eating disorder. Extreme food restriction and an intense fear of gaining weight. A serious and potentially life- threatening disorder.
Dementia*- loss of cognitive functioning such as thinking, remembering and reasoning to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities.
Alzheimer's Disease*- a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
Insomnia*- a common sleep disorder. An individual has difficulty in falling asleep or getting good quality sleep.
© Sunita Pathania
#sunitapathania #loneliness #diseases
#physicalandmental #health
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