Dealing with Loneliness
As Valentine’s Day approaches, constant reminders of the holiday are everywhere. For some, this can be a sweet time to appreciate the love in their lives—whether romantic or platonic. However, for many, it can also bring up negative feelings, with loneliness being one of the most prevalent emotions.
It’s not uncommon to feel lonely. According to the article “Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms,” up to 80% of individuals under 18 and 40% of adults over 65 report feeling lonely at least sometimes (Hawkley and Cacioppo). Furthermore, 15% to 30% of the general population experiences chronic loneliness.
While it can be disheartening to recognize how widespread loneliness is, it’s comforting to know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. Loneliness can impact more than just mental health; it has been linked to physical health problems such as heart disease, lung disease, cardiovascular issues, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and metabolic disorders (Yanguas, Javier,).
How to Approach Loneliness
Often, the first response to loneliness is to seek the company of others. For some, this strategy may work. However, research indicates that this is not always effective. The study mentioned earlier found that sometimes the most effective way to address loneliness is to challenge our negative thoughts and investigate the root causes of our feelings (Hawkley and Cacioppo). Occasionally, the problem may indeed be a lack of social interaction, but other underlying issues could be at play.
How can we tackle this?
Here are some suggestions:
- Counseling or therapy
- Journaling
- Prayer or meditation
You can also find counseling services through Safe Harbor. The study “What Works in Interventions Targeting Loneliness: A Systematic Review of Intervention Characteristics” emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to loneliness.
However, it notes that “learned practices and behaviors should be integrated into one’s lifestyle to achieve long-term reductions in loneliness” (Morrish, N., et al.).
Remember, you are never completely alone. There are people in your life who care about you. We hope that you can feel the love around you this Valentine’s Day.
Written by Emily Churchill, intern at Safe Harbor House. For more articles, visit www.safeharborim.com/articles.
All images in article were generated using Canva AI.
Sources
Hawkley, Louise C, and John T Cacioppo. “Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2010, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3874845/.
Morrish, N., et al. “What Works in Interventions Targeting Loneliness: A Systematic Review of Intervention Characteristics – BMC Public Health.” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 9 Nov. 2023, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-17097-2.
Yanguas, Javier, et al. “The Complexity of Loneliness.” Acta Bio-Medica : Atenei Parmensis, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 June 2018, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6179015/.
