What are the effects on the bodies of people who are left alone?

The modern world is a strange illusion. Especially due to social media, we feel as if we are in a constant social situation, but we are all alone. This is not something we decide by looking around. In the surveys and similar studies, people of all ages and social classes Most of them say they feel lonely. Moreover, some of these people actually seem quite social from the outside.

Well, for many people, the period when the real feeling of loneliness began was the COVID-19 pandemic. During the closures during the pandemic period People in different parts of the world had to be imprisoned in their homes, and there were those who saw the bottom of the well of loneliness. Unfortunately, this feeling affects not only our psychology but also our physical health, and it will sound strange, but even our risk of dying early due to loneliness increases.

Let’s start by understanding what it is; What is loneliness?

We are sure that a poet’s definition of loneliness will be different, but if we look at it from the framework of psychology, Loneliness is actually a state of mind. Feeling alone, unwanted and similar situations means loneliness. In other words, even if there is no concrete data, if the feelings of the person are in this direction, that person is experiencing loneliness.

If we look at a survey conducted in 2019 on the subject, it turns out that especially young people are more lonely. 25 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 27 have no close friends, 22 percent say they have no friends. According to experts, the main reason for this situation is the use of social media.

It is possible to talk about two basic types of loneliness:

It is not possible to name it exactly, but we can name the two basic types of loneliness as voluntary loneliness and involuntary loneliness. involuntary loneliness It is the situation in which the person is isolated from the society against his will. The person involuntarily leaves the social environment, is rejected by the social environment or is excluded in some way. People who are left alone against their will are not satisfied with this situation.

On the other hand, voluntary loneliness is a situation in which a person isolates himself according to his own will. Because the person likes to spend time alone does not want to connect with others and is left alone. However, unlike involuntary loneliness, this person has a social environment, gets rid of loneliness whenever he wants and continues to feel the positive effects of his environment.

Why do we feel a sense of loneliness?

Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to this question, because loneliness is a kind of mood, and its reasons often vary from person to person. Of course, as we mentioned in the introduction, during the COVID-19 pandemic In the process when the whole world is closed to homes The feeling of loneliness was a common feeling for many of us. Being isolated from society for such reasons is one of the main causes of loneliness.

Volumes could be written about other causes of involuntary loneliness. Some people have too many friends but He feels lonely because he doesn’t know anyone to listen to the same type of music. Some people’s phones don’t ring even once during the day and they feel lonely. Others are unable to communicate with other people due to their social fears and are lonely. So to sum it up, you’re lonely because you feel lonely, that’s it.

We all know more or less the psychological effects of loneliness:

It is a well-known fact that people who are left alone against their will are psychologically unhealthy. The biggest negative effect of loneliness is stress. The stress level of people who feel lonely is much higher than those who do not feel lonely.

People who feel lonely are also more likely to experience depression and anxiety. These individuals may be suicidal. It is also known that they make bad decisions because of their experiences. Worse, antisocial behavior develops. Due to these developing antisocial behaviors, the person cannot get out of his loneliness.

How does being alone affect the human body? Here are the physiological effects of loneliness:

• The risk of heart disease increases.
• Brain functions are not working properly.
• The risk of premature death increases.
• The progression of different diseases becomes easier.

Increased risk of heart disease:

Unfortunately, the most common physiological negativity in people who are left alone against their will is on the heart. People with poor social relationships have a 29 percent risk of heart disease, The risk of stroke increases by 32 percent, the risk of heart failure by 4 times, the risk of hospitalization by 68 percent and the risk of being admitted to the emergency room by 57 percent.

Brain functions not working properly:

Since social relationships are exercises that strengthen our brain, unfortunately, our brain functions do not work as before when we stay away. Alzheimer’s risk of lonely people, 50 percent higher than those with healthy social relationships. Moreover, it was observed that after the occurrence of this disease, it progressed much faster in lonely people. Even if Alzheimer’s is not present, abnormal behaviors can be observed in the brain functions of lonely people.

Increased risk of premature death:

The risk of premature death is caused by conditions such as smoking, alcohol use, sedentary life, and obesity. In studies conducted, individuals with weak social relations and feeling lonely turned out to be at least as high a risk of premature death as these conditions. In other words, the risk of dying at any moment is what a person who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, consumes alcohol, is inactive and is obese, is the risk of dying early for a loner.

The progression of different diseases becomes easier:

Lonely people are much more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Sleep patterns are unhealthy. Because they don’t have social activities They have a sedentary life. In other words, loneliness triggers different diseases and hinders their recovery. There is no definite result, but many studies have shown that people who feel lonely are much more likely to get cancer and their recovery process is much slower.

What should lonely people do?

• Realize that there are things you need to change.
• Participate in volunteer work.
• Focus on your existing relationships.
• Strive to develop quality relationships.
• Do not hesitate to get help.

Realize that there are things you need to change:

We have no intention of blaming anyone, but let’s sit crookedly and speak straight; if a person is experiencing a great feeling of loneliness He should question himself and his life a little. We’re not talking about being guilty, but if something isn’t right, then something needs to be changed. For this reason, it will be a good start to go inside and make a self-criticism.

Participate in volunteer work:

I don’t have a school, I don’t have a job, I don’t have money to go to a course and if you say you are alone, you should know that there are countless volunteer works you can join. Working on a voluntary basis in our country and there are countless organizations that do many important charities. Go and join one of these organizations based on your interests. You do well and join a social circle of people with similar interests.

Focus on your existing relationships:

Of course there are exceptions, but let’s face it, none of us are exactly as alone as we feel. Surely there is someone around us. Of course, you may not want to be content with these, but if you are experiencing a heavy feeling of loneliness that affects your physiology, try to focus on these existing relationships. Don’t be stubborn, look for some middle ground.

Try to develop quality relationships:

We know it’s easy to say and hard to do, but that’s how you get out of the well of loneliness you’ve fallen into. Unless you have a stable social life that you commute every day You have to build it yourself. Find people with similar interests as you and share with them. Even the sharing of a few simple common topics has illuminated the dark loneliness inside you a little bit.

Do not hesitate to get help:

All that we have told up to this point are comments made on the data revealed by scientists in their studies. But we know that every person is unique and unique. For this reason, if the feeling of loneliness you feel is no longer tolerable, do not hesitate to seek help from a specialist psychologist. If you do a short internet search, you can find many experts who will help you with this at an affordable price or for free.

It affects not only our psychology but also our physiology. We talked about the negative effects of loneliness on our body. What we describe is for informational purposes only. Do not forget that you should get the most accurate and specific information about loneliness and its other effects from a specialist physician, as in all health issues.

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