Affiliate Disclaimer
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readers
We all see loneliness as a mental pain but least of us know there are types of it. Knowing the types of loneliness can make it seem solvable. A few moments of loneliness are misled as serious depression. You are diverting your mind to severity which is not how you have to understand loneliness.
“Lonely” is more a feeling than just a word. But once people constantly feel lonely they tend to see it as a phase. They name the emptiness or helplessness as loneliness with negative thoughts. It affects mental health with constant stress and anxiety. Thereby, it is shown as a darkness with the deepest shallow. The fact is all the types of loneliness are not the same or as dreadful as we think. To believe this you must know the loneliness types.
When we are educating you about types of loneliness, we would see a need to tell you about how to overcome it. Practice to overcome loneliness improves your mental health. It also prevents critical health issues.
What Are The Types of Loneliness?
1. Emotional Loneliness
People often face this kind of loneliness. They feel that they don’t have a reliable relationship or strong attachments.
Few feel it when they don’t have a romantic relationship but everyone else has in their group. They may feel this lack of friends or family support. This type of loneliness can contribute to mental disturbance. People may face when they have no one to talk and express their feelings. You might feel the emotional loneliness when your partner has moved on while you are still waiting for him to hold back or come back. You might look for emotional support when facing this type of loneliness.
Meanwhile, psychological experts see it with the positive perspective of being alone. It has the perks which are lately realized by the people. When they realize they find the way to heal themselves and withstand loneliness.
How to overcome emotional loneliness?
If you are facing emotional loneliness then you must try to become emotionally strong. Practicing to be self reliant can keep you away from these feelings. You must be prepared to face the reality to make it easy for yourself.
2. Existential loneliness
Existential loneliness is a common experience for everyone at least once in a lifetime. When you feel there is no meaning for your living, you may feel this type of loneliness. An individual involved in a routine life and moves from it may tend to feel existential loneliness. They may have friends and be surrounded with people around but still feel loneliness.
The people who face existential loneliness always want to fit into the best roles. As they are not happy with their living, it affects their self-esteem and relationships.
How to overcome existential loneliness?
They must know the importance of self worth. They must often acknowledge their success and improvements in life. That is how rewarding yourself is said to be valuable. Self love and self worth are the best ways to overcome existential loneliness.
Further, they must seek mental support from a trustworthy friend or family member. This can gradually get them out of their loneliness.
Read: People Living Alone Are More At Risks Of Mental Disorders, New Study!!
3. Social loneliness
People may feel hurt when they don’t have a big network or circle of friends. They feel it when they don’t belong to the groups. You might walk into a group of people where no one recognizes you. This gives you a social loneliness feeling. Many of us face this type of loneliness that was not named till now.
You might be in the relationship but still feel the social loneliness. They notice not being a part of a group pr circle as a couple. One or both of the couple might think this way which is again termed as “social loneliness”.
More to say, you also feel differentiated from a group or club. This is a temporary insecure feeling that may last for a few hours or days. It doesn’t mean social loneliness is easy to deal with. It is a challenge that people must try to overcome adapting a healthy habit or lifestyle.
How to overcome social loneliness?
The people who are going through social loneliness must try to socialize. Socializing with new people can help you combat loneliness. When you are exploring and socializing, remember that you are not alone. You can do certain social activities like volunteering, joining a club or a group when you feel lonely. When you are a part of a group you will learn to face social loneliness and get out of it. It strengthens your mind emotionally.
4. Situation loneliness
Situational loneliness is usually faced due to the circumstances in life. Loss of a close person,workplace related or relationship breakup. Current pandemic is the best example of loneliness. The situations force you to a phase of loneliness. It is only that you are taking time to accept the reality. When not expected to face the situation then you may feel the emptiness which can be described as loneliness. This kind of void is felt for sometime. You will gradually come out of it understanding the situations and reasons.
How to overcome situational loneliness?
We advise you not to overthink about the situations that are not in your control. Work on sorting it out and then wait for the results with hope. You can deal with situational loneliness with endless hope and optimism.The very first thing to overcome situation loneliness is to live in the moment. When you start thinking about the future and the consequences then this can increase your feeling of loneliness.
5. Transition loneliness
Transition loneliness is because of a sudden change in life. When a change happens without your prior notice it leaves blank. Be it a change of workplace, transfer from a city to city or due to abandonment. It is faced when the person feels disconnected to the habituated living or routine.
The loneliness of transition goes over time. Once you learn to live in the changed atmosphere or environment, you will be able to normalize. But we agree that it is hard at the moment.
How to overcome transition loneliness?
Living in reality is the best way to overcome transition loneliness. You must sometimes expect the unexpected in life. Look for the substitutes of what you had. Seek help from the people around you. You must love to spend time with yourself to combat transition loneliness.
When you are missing something or someone, you can visit the place of person. Recollect the good memories and feel the joy of nostalgia. Don’t let negative thoughts or people affect your peacefulness.
I agree, it takes time to fight loneliness after a big transition. But life has to go and you must look at the possibilities of building yourself rather than drawing into the past.
Read: 12 Ways To Deal With Abandonment Issues – Fight Back The Loneliness
How long does loneliness last?
We cannot give you a definite answer for this as it depends on person to person. A few individuals take less time to cope up with loneliness and few may take longer. The efforts of living a healthy life is the best medicine that can treat loneliness. It is usual for everyone, but learning to overcome is the basic need to let life go.
It is important to have a positive perspective towards life to overcome loneliness. Believing in self can last for a short time. If you can believe in yourself, it feels less painful when you feel lonely.
Different Effects of Loneliness
I. Poor sleep quality
A study (R) found that loneliness is correlated to sleep disturbance. It affects the sleep quality with disturbing thoughts in the middle of the night. The link between sleep and loneliness is still unclear. But mental health impacts the well being of a person.
II. Stress and anxiety
When you feel lonely, you question yourself. Questioning and low self esteem causes stress and anxiety. One who thinks his potential is not enough for the job or to live a desirable life may also feel the loneliness. And that again leads to the mental stress.
III. Depression
Lonely people often suffer from depression. The day you feel gloomy or disconnected from being yourself, you may feel lonely. If you are not dealing with the right way then it will raise into depression.
IV. Low immunity
When there is mental stress for longer, it reduces the immunity. The weakened immunity is simply prone to infections and inflammations. You must be mentally healthy and fit to boost your immunity. Practice the relaxing activities to burst the stress of loneliness.
V. Emotionally weak
Loneliness makes the person feel emotionally weak after a certain time. The person tends to lose patience for positive thinking, hopefulness. This can lead to emotional weakness. They start to lose control of their emotions. Uncontrollable emotions of longing loneliness can be of sadness, fear, anger.
Bottom line,
Viewing loneliness as a bad phase or condition is the primary factor that pushes you more into it. You must know the importance of being self reliant, self worth. When you realize the value of your own life, you don’t see loneliness as a barrier to lead your life. Infact, you start enjoying loneliness. Not only tackling with the types of loneliness but you will learn to live life to the fullest. Realize the purpose of your life and love it, live for it.
Psychologists advise small changes in lifestyle to combat loneliness. If still the loneliness lingers then you must seek professional help. The right healing and treatment can prevent from affecting your mental health further.
Recommended:
