Loneliness – The terrible feeling of being isolated from others

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty
– By Mother Teresa

Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, empty and unwanted. Lonely people desperately crave for human contact. However, their present state of mind makes it tough to mingle with others.

Causes of loneliness

  • Lack of social support
  • Relocation
  • Lack of proper social skills
  • Being completely different from the people surrounding you
  • Being too shy
  • The death of a near and dear one
  • Low self-esteem

Types of loneliness

  1. Situational
  2. Developmental
  3. Internal

Symptoms of loneliness

  • You’ve more virtual/online friends than real ones
  • You’re unable to sleep at night properly
  • You’re taking more hot showers everyday
  • You’re glued to your new laptop
  • You’re immersed in work
  • You feel alone and empty inside
  • You’re over-reacting to normal situations
  • You’re bored and depressed

Dangers of loneliness

Dangerous effect on health

  • Drug abuse
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Making wrong decisions
  • Depression
  • Antisocial behavior
  • Alzheimer’s disease

Dangerous effect on psychology

  • Makes people depressed
  • Increases stress and anxiety
  • Escalates blood pressure level
  • Increases the chances of drug abuse
Loneliness is bad – both for your mental and physical health. As such try to overcome it by making new friends and interacting with them.

Learn more about

Talk to one of these psychiatrists to overcome loneliness

Dr. Sonia Parikh, MD Psychiatrist

Dr. Sonia Parikh, MD
Psychiatrist

Language: English

Location: Redondo Beach Clinic

Years in Practice: 8+
Dr. Emaya Anbalagan, MD Psychiatrist

Dr. Emaya Anbalagan, MD
Psychiatrist

Language: English, Tamil, Hindi

Location: Los Altos Clinic

Years in Practice: 7+
Dr. Christopher Sorensen, MD Psychiatrist

Dr. Christopher Sorensen, MD
Psychiatrist

Language: English

Location: Los Altos Clinic, San Jose Clinic

Years in Practice: 8+
Dr. Vidushi Savant, MD Psychiatrist

Dr. Vidushi Savant, MD
Psychiatrist

Language: English, Hindi, Punjabi

Location: Los Altos Clinic

Years in Practice: 6+
Dr. Joe Walker, MD Psychiatrist

Dr. Joe Walker, MD
Psychiatrist

Language: English

Location: San Francisco Clinic

Years in Practice: 26+
Dr. Joseph Burwell, DO Psychiatrist

Dr. Joseph Burwell, DO
Psychiatrist

Language: English

Location: La Palma Clinic, Redondo Beach Clinic, Anaheim Hills Clinic

Years in Practice: 6+