Five myths about feeling lonely
myths about the feeling lonely-The problem of loneliness are often described as the scourge of the times. But have rates of social isolation and loneliness really increased than ever before?
We are all prone to feeling lonely at some point in our lives. The problem of unity is still receiving ample media coverage at the present time, to the point that the British government appointed a new minister tasked with coordinating with other ministries in the government to address the problem of unity.
This problem is not easy, because it leads to depression and unhappiness. Despite this, the problem of loneliness is shrouded in many myths, and we will present in the following the five most prominent of them.
1- Loneliness is caused by isolation from people
There is a difference between feeling lonely and being isolated from people. Loneliness is the lack of connection with others, meaning that you feel that no one around you understands you and that you have not succeeded in establishing close relationships with others as you had hoped.
Isolation may be one of the factors that lead to loneliness, but it is not the only factor. You may feel lonely despite being surrounded by a group of people, and you may feel happiness, and even peace of mind, when you are alone for some time.
In a 2016 BBC poll entitled “Comfort Testing”, to identify the best activities that are comfortable for different people, the first five places topped the activities that people tend to be alone when practicing, such as reading.
Perhaps we sometimes need to be alone, but if being alone is the only option because we do not find people around us who understand us, then we will feel the pain of loneliness.
2- Unity has spread unprecedented at the present time
There is no doubt that loneliness is now receiving unprecedented attention, but that does not mean that the percentage of people who now feel lonely has increased compared to the past few years.
Christina Victor of Purnell University, based on studies dating back to 1948, explained that the percentage of older people who suffer from chronic loneliness has not changed for 70 years, with between 6 and 13 percent of them stating that they feel lonely always or most of the time.
It is true that more and more people are feeling lonely, but this is due to the increasing number of people in the world. There is no doubt that feeling lonely increases sadness and unhappiness.
3- Loneliness has no positive aspects
There’s no denying that loneliness is painful, but it’s often a temporary feeling. Just as we look at its negative aspects, we also have to look at its positive aspects. Loneliness can be an alarm signal alerting us to look for new friends, or to find ways to improve our relationships with the people around us.
John Cacioppo, a social neuroscientist, sees loneliness as a method of coping that evolved in a person to push him to preserve his relationships with others. Cacioppo likened her to thirst. When thirsty, she will search for water. Likewise, when you feel lonely, you will look for others.
By living among cooperative groups, man was able to remain safe from dangers. Therefore, it is natural for us to develop a tendency to connect with others to help us survive.
Although loneliness is usually a temporary feeling, when it becomes chronic it can have dire consequences. There is a lot of evidence proving that it harms our health, affects our sleep and causes us sadness.
Loneliness may push us into a vicious circle, as a person feels lonely, then withdraws from others, and withdraws from social events, and this in turn increases the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
One research concluded that feeling lonely increases the risk of depressive symptoms after one year.
4- Loneliness leads to health deterioration
This aspect is more complicated than the previous ones. We often see ratios and figures drawn from statistics about the effect of loneliness on our health. But a group of researchers has been reviewing all the research conducted in this regard, and they have concluded that feeling lonely may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by about a third, and that people who live alone suffer from high blood pressure at higher rates than others. Their life expectancy is lower compared to others.
The British government has appointed Tracy Crouch, the first female minister in charge of tackling the loneliness problem
We do not deny that these results are dangerous, but many of these studies were polling samples of the population at a specific time. Therefore, we cannot be certain that loneliness is the only reason behind these results.
And people who live in isolation and feel sad may be the most vulnerable to disease. Or vice versa, disease and deterioration of health may push some people to withdraw from society and live alone, and this prevents them from mixing with others.
Statistics may have shown that the health status of people who live alone is worse than others because loneliness has robbed them of the incentive to take care of their health. This means that isolation may lead to a deterioration in health, and a deteriorating health condition leads to a feeling of loneliness, as each affects the other.
5- Most elderly people feel lonely
It is known that loneliness is more common in older people than in adults, but Pamela Qualter, from the University of Manchester, has conducted a group of research into feeling lonely at various stages of life, and has concluded that loneliness also reaches its peak in adulthood.
Meanwhile, other studies have shown that between 50 and 60 percent of the elderly do not live in isolation. According to the BBC.
