This is a topic that has been brought into the mainstream since the Coronavirus Pandemic reared its ugly head.
What many fail to realize though is that loneliness and social isolation are not one and the same.
There are distinct differences between the two. However, both can induce or exacerbate not only physical health struggles but one’s mental health as well.
What is the Difference?
Social isolation is physical. It’s a lack of contact, friends, connections, etc. This type of isolation may see an individual staying home a lot, avoiding social situations, and refusing interactions with others.
It can also lead to agoraphobia (extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving one’s own home, or of being in places from which escape is difficult), increased anxiety, depression, sadness, restlessness, unhealthy coping, and significant health problems, along with loneliness.
On the other hand, loneliness is a state of being. As opposed to actually being alone (which is a physical state), loneliness is an emotional state often characterized by continuous feelings of emptiness.
Though both may occur concurrently, one is not necessarily the cause of the other.
How Can Isolation and/or Loneliness Affect a Person’s Health?
Besides inducing or intensifying anxiety/depression, social isolation and loneliness can both impact cognitive development in younger people, lead to poor physical habits, along with fueling unhealthy ways in which to cope – such as drinking, drugs, excessive sleep, and so on.
Since Covid showed up on the radar, according to kff.org, “A KFF Health Tracking Poll from July 2020 also found that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), due to worry and stress over the coronavirus.”
Mandated quarantines have put a strain on maintaining human connection outside of the digital world. The longer one socially isolates the more it can wear down their mental, physical, and even spiritual state. This often perpetuates an increase in difficulty when attempting to reintegrate into a pre-Covid existence.
With the loss of jobs, income, and means for seeking help, many struggles to afford the assistance they need. Those in the mental health profession are too feeling the strain of this pandemic in case/client overload, thus often extending the time period in which one must wait for treatment.
Is Covid the Only Pandemic Among Us?
Loneliness and social isolation were both large issues before last year, however, seemed to be swept under the rug as many mental health-related struggles are nowadays.
Although loneliness was discussed more often in regards to the older generation, the onset of Covid has seen a shift in this discussion towards that of the younger population.
As stated by Yahoo!: “The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 16 to 24-year-olds were five times more likely to say they had felt lonely in the past seven days than people aged between 65 and 74.
Overall, 7% of the adult population – 3.7 million people – told the ONS were “always or often” lonely during the last seven days. This is an increase of more than a million people since the first lockdown a year ago.”
What’s been deemed as “lockdown isolation” and “lockdown loneliness” has affected the Gen Z population in ways never before imagined.
In turn, this has led not only to a rising epidemic of isolation and loneliness but also bodes the question of, “Is Covid the only Pandemic among us?”
The Link Between Chronic Loneliness and Trauma
When Covid and mandatory lockdowns/quarantines became the norm, so did something else many were most likely blindsided by:
People were left without the distractions of work/outside activities to keep them from dealing with/facing unresolved emotional issues, grief, and trauma.
The link between unresolved childhood trauma and loneliness is what many don’t seem to connect. However, when all other factors are equal, individuals who’ve experienced significant childhood trauma are at a higher risk of experiencing chronic loneliness in adulthood.
Because loneliness is linked to feelings of shame and inadequacy, people who suffer tend to hide it from others. They can be skilled at masking these feelings in their social interactions. By all outward appearances, they seem “fine.” But inside, their loneliness hurts.”
How to Recognize the Signs
Whether it involves isolating or feelings of emptiness, there are various indicators to be on the lookout for in not only yourself but loved ones who may be struggling as well:
- Avoiding social interaction
- Frequently canceling plans
- Not doing those things which were once enjoyable
- Consistent negative feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness
- Feeling alone, even with family, friends, or in a crowd
- No close or “best friends”
- Increased anxiety or depression
- Feelings of exhaustion and/or burnout in social situations
- Spending large amounts of time alone
- Withdrawing from others
Though social isolation and loneliness are seen as two separate struggles, both can lead to dire consequences, such as suicide, if left untreated.
It’s more imperative now than ever to reach out for yourself, as well as extend a helping hand to those who may find it difficult to speak up on their own.
No matter your age, ethnicity, gender, income, or trauma, don’t stop searching for that light at the end of the tunnel because it IS there! The only thing anyone needs to take that first step towards healing won’t cost you a dime, and that’s HOPE!
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662 HELP (4357)
National HOPEline Network: 1-800-442-HOPE (4673)
Writer, poet, designer, crafter, and mental health advocate. I have encountered struggles throughout life with addiction, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. I no longer identify with the above struggles, however, as I refuse to be defined by a disorder, disease or diagnosis. It is through the guidance of an anxiety coach in which I continue the healing of both my mental and physical health, while in the process supporting others along their own path towards recovery.