Health

The Very Real Side Effects of Being Lonely

11. Loneliness Can Actually Cause You To Experience The Flu More Often. Loneliness, stress, depression, and overall poor mental health can make you feel downright lousy,… Trista - November 15, 2021

11. Loneliness Can Actually Cause You To Experience The Flu More Often.

Loneliness, stress, depression, and overall poor mental health can make you feel downright lousy, not only emotionally but physically, as well. As stated earlier, loneliness can cause the body to trigger an immune response. This usually presents itself as fevers, headaches, and general achiness all over the body. What else feels like this? The flu. And this can be made worse during the cold months of the flu season. In fact, if you get a flu vaccine, your body becomes less responsive to it, causing you to get sick more often. Yes, being lonely can be so damaging physically that it weakens your immune system and can cause you to get the flu. Furthermore, with that compromised immune system, if you do get the flu or any other sickness, you will likely get even sicker than many other people because your body just is not able to fight it off.

You would think that isolating yourself more would actually minimize your risk of the flu, but studies have shown that the opposite is true. Loneliness can make you more susceptible to the disease by decreasing the effectiveness of your overall immune system. So make more social connections! Just exercise caution in doing so, so that you’re not increasing your risk adversely. Pick up the phone and call someone. If the thought of making a call feels overwhelming, send a text message to see if the other person might be interested in talking. Micro-interactions can also have a calming effect on your mind; micro-interactions are those short conversations you have with the cashier at the grocery store or the security guard at the entrance to a building. Make sure that you are pleasant instead of demanding because a pleasant micro-interaction can boost your mood.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

10. If You Struggle To Lose Weight, Then You May Have Loneliness.

Before you start your workout, it would be best first to address your feelings of loneliness. After all, this mental condition can lead to the production and storage of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body that is responsible for fear, mood, and motivation levels. When too much cortisol is released into the body, the body tries to grab onto all of the fat it can hold onto. This leads to weight gain. And the presence of this cortisol also makes it hard to lose those excess pounds. This is why the majority of people who feel loneliness also tend to border on obesity. It is a common overeating trigger as a coping strategy for the stress the person is experiencing in their life.

However, by taking care of one’s loneliness, cortisol levels drop, and those extra pounds will melt away much more easily. Just be sure to talk to your doctor beforehand to see the most effective and safest ways to help your body lose weight. Exercise can help burn the cortisol out of your body, so if you are trying to lose weight by restricting calories, you are not addressing the cause of weight gain or weight retention. Your priority needs to be lowering the cortisol levels through exercise and regular social connections. Moreover, if the thought of regular social links sounds overwhelming, keep in mind that dogs are very social creatures and are pros at alleviating loneliness and stress. You do not have to have a certified therapy dog to have a best friend who also makes a good therapist.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

9. Loneliness Can Cause You To Experience Pain For Seemingly No Reason.

Body aches happen now and again, but they usually have a reason for them. It could be the onset of a cold, or maybe you did too much exercise throughout the day. But when you have body aches for no apparent reason, you should definitely start paying attention to your body and mind. This is linked to the body’s immune response and releasing too many white blood cells. This triggers body aches to occur because the white blood cells don’t know where to go; there’s no sign of an infection, so they’re swimming about in the bloodstream aimlessly. However, this isn’t the only connection. Apparently, your brain responds to feelings of loneliness in the same way that it experiences physical pain.

Have you ever felt a loss that was so intense that you felt physical pain? The emotional toll becomes so overwhelming that you begin to feel it physically. If you have experienced rejection by someone whom you thought would be with you forever, the pain from the loss can be even more severe. So the refusal of a person, real or imagined, can lead to the body reacting in the same way as if you’d been physically struck. This is why you may feel random pains at random points of the day that linger for a while. If you do, then you should go and speak to your doctor as soon as you’re able. If you are experiencing physical pain that you think may be a result of chronic loneliness, talk to your doctor as quickly as possible and be clear about what you are struggling with. Otherwise, the doctor may only treat the symptom because they are not aware that the cause may be severe loneliness.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

8. Going To The Doctor’s Office More Often Can Be A Sign Of Loneliness.

Frequent trips to the doctor could be a sign that you’re experiencing loneliness. This isn’t to say that you’re seeking the friendship of your doctor. No. However, because loneliness affects your overall health, you could be making more doctor’s visits to deal with these medical issues. Many people suffering from severe loneliness take more trips to the doctor simply because they are experiencing problems. Loneliness is affecting their physical health, directly or indirectly, and it is affecting their mental health. And yes, some are almost certainly looking for some kind of human connection where they can find it. Yes, even at the doctor’s office. However, if you don’t discuss your feelings with your doctor, you will only end up going back to your doctor repeatedly without any real solution.

In fact, according to researchers from the University of Georgia, older adults who were experiencing feelings of loneliness were 12.7% more likely to visit the doctor than those adults who didn’t have these feelings. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a note of how many times you see your doctor in a given year so that you have evidence to consider as to whether you’re actually experiencing loneliness. Even if you’ve already been diagnosed with chronic conditions throughout your adult life, it may not hurt to consider whether you’re enduring feelings of loneliness as well. Being upfront with your doctor about what you are experiencing can help them develop the best treatment plan possible to get you feeling the best that you can, both mentally and physically.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

7. Loneliness Tends To Make You Eat More Junk Food.

Just about everyone is guilty of stress eating. High-fat, high-carbohydrate foods have a way of taking the edge off after a long, hard day. That includes treats like donuts and ice cream. Not only are they “comfort foods,” but they also change your body’s chemistry. They do so in such a way that temporarily boosts your mood. Over time, though, these junk foods harm your health and cause your mood to worsen. If you notice that you start craving fried and salty foods, you may be experiencing loneliness. This goes back to the production of cortisol in the body, that stress hormone that regulates your mood and eating habits. You’ll start to crave those foods when cortisol is present as a coping mechanism for the stress your body is enduring. In turn, you end up putting on those extra pounds that you can’t take off.

It doesn’t help, either, that you’re only making meals or buying food for yourself, and there’s no one around to hold you accountable for the food you’re making. That makes it much easier to have a poorer diet, especially with meals you can throw into the microwave and don’t take much effort to make. This eventually develops into a routine of eating that becomes difficult to break. Then you’re stuck in a cycle of eating to cope and coping to eat. Consider that up until very recently. Eating has consistently been a communal activity. People eat with their families or other loved ones; only recently have people begun eating by themselves. To help stave off those extra pounds from junk food, look for a way to eat with someone a couple of times a week. If you can’t, then arrange a video call with someone while you are eating.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

6. Loneliness Makes It Difficult For You To Manage Stress.

If you are chronically lonely, then you are probably aware that dealing with stress is much more difficult when you do not have enough human connection built into your everyday life. Everyone goes through stress daily. But it’s the stress level and how frequently the stress occurs, that makes the body want to shut down. Dealing with stress means taking time out of your day to unwind, do something you enjoy, hang out with friends, or just go to bed at a reasonable time to help the body heal. But without a support system to help you deal with that stress, it just piles on top of itself until there’s a giant mountain of the stuff that a person can’t deal with on their own.

In fact, studies have shown that when there is social support in place, the brain will release a neurochemical that will actually help it deal with being overwhelmed; that means that your stress will feel less intense and manageable, making it easier for you to tackle it head-on. In contrast, without social support, stress will seem more intense and unmanageable. If you are struggling to keep your head above water with all of the stress you are experiencing, you may need professional help. Furthermore, don’t worry; therapy does not mean that you are crazy. Just about anybody on this planet would benefit from going to treatment, including therapists. Tackling some of the reasons you are experiencing so much loneliness with a professional can help you develop creative solutions to alleviate your loneliness.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

5. Studies Link Loneliness To Depression.

Depression and feelings of loneliness are closely linked together. In fact, one can cause the other and vice versa. A common mistake that people make is that you have to have no friends to experience loneliness. However, even people with closely-knit circles can experience loneliness. It can affect their health, so don’t always look at the loners when considering this condition. The same can be said for those who live with depression; they’re not the people who constantly look sad and do not interact with other people. Some depressed people can seem outgoing, wearing smiles on their faces, and acting like the life of the party.

It can be difficult to diagnose someone with depression or loneliness when there are no signs to look out for. Do you want action? That requires you to be honest and recognize your symptoms. More often than not, patients get embarrassed about these feelings. Then, they do not to share them with their doctor, thinking that their symptoms will just go away on their own because they’re “having a bad day.” Often, family and friends are the only ones with enough knowledge of the person to intervene and say that maybe their loved one needs help. If someone comes to you suggesting that perhaps you are coping with depression, take their concerns seriously. Moreover, if someone you know may be struggling, do not be afraid to reach out.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

4. Tips and Tricks To Overcome And Prevent Loneliness.

Loneliness isn’t a death sentence for your major organs. It can be overcome and even conquered. Nevertheless, it requires that you notice it in the first place and do something to combat those feelings. You have to make a conscious effort to change your life and stick to it regularly to improve the quality of your life and your relationships with other people. In fact, here are a few tips you could start implementing today in your life. Lifestyle changes may be in order, but do not be afraid or feel overwhelmed. These lifestyle changes are for the better and will make you both physically and mentally healthier.

The most important step may simply be recognizing that something in your life needs to change. You may be waiting for that magical moment when your life suddenly improves. Things like meeting that special someone who will be your soul mate forever, getting that dream job, or the positive pregnancy test. But suppose you do not address the loneliness and depression in your life. In that case, even if these miracles do happen, you will end up being a lonely person with a soul mate from whom you feel disconnected, or a lonely person with a great job and great house who has trouble appreciating them. Start reaching out for human connection today, and the first point of contact for that connection maybe a therapist.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

3. Discover A Place To Volunteer.

Many lonely people feel unrecognized, unnoticed, and altogether unimportant. They may have exceptional skills that their bosses do not seem interested in learning about or using. They are often very kind and caring, especially because they know the feeling of being left out. Volunteering is a great way to use your skills and time in a way that matters and helps other people. In the process, you will connect with people who benefit from your services and experience increased self-esteem from knowing that you did something that did help another person.

There are so many different options for volunteering, so start by thinking about something that you care about particularly and what skills you have that you could use. Are you especially concerned about the environment? About hunger or homelessness in your community? What about the public schools in your local area? Maybe some children need tutoring, or the school administration has some odd jobs that a volunteer could help out with. And if you are feeling particularly lonely, think about who else feels lonely: animals living in a shelter, waiting to be adopted. Spending one-on-one time with dogs and cats in a shelter helps socialize them so that when they get adopted, they are better able to bond with their new family.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

2. Find People With Similar Interests.

Making new friends can be challenging, especially if you are struggling with loneliness and have grown to appreciate the isolation. But getting out and building new connections with other people is essential to overcoming loneliness and the negative health consequences. Finding people who have similar interests can be a great way to create new friendships. Besides, experiencing the human connection that is the essence of life. Before you can do that, you need to think about what your interests are! If you have been experiencing loneliness or depression, you may have forgotten what you enjoy or otherwise lost interest in them. Take a few minutes to make a list of the things that interest you, be they growing plants, buying organic food, reading mystery novels, going hiking, walking along the beach, whatever the case may be.

There are plenty of ways to find people who have similar interests. One is through social media, which can be an excellent resource for finding people who have the same hobbies. There are Facebook groups for people who enjoy growing plants or readings. Groups for athletes or students to connect, and so much more. Sure, connecting virtually is less ideal than in-person. However, people who are severely depressed may be more comfortable with a virtual connection. That is, until they feel more comfortable with the idea of meeting people in person. To find in-person groups, your local library can be an excellent resource. You can learn about things going on in the community, including interest groups. Also, try to look for hobby stores; for example, if you appreciate art and there is an art store nearby, go there! You can check in and see if there are any groups for people who enjoy art.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

1. Let Other People Know You Care.

What is at the heart of loneliness? It is often the belief that no one cares. And the funny thing is that many people who are struggling with loneliness think they are the only person in the world that feels that way when the opposite is true. Before the covid pandemic began, a study found that 61% of people feel lonely; that number indeed went even higher once everyone had to go into lockdown. The reality is that the person whom you think may not be interested in connecting with you may be desperate for someone to give a call and say that they care.

Yes, loneliness can easily make you feel isolated. It may seem as if you are the only person in the world who does not belong or have meaningful connections. However, you could very well be someone else’s lifeline. So pick up the phone. Send a text or make a call. Don’t focus on saying that you are sad and want the other person to cheer you up. Instead, say that you wanted to let that person know that you were thinking of them. That you wanted to check in and see how things are going. Everyone needs to know that someone cares. When you realize that you have made a difference in someone else’s life, you will feel much less lonely.

<< Previous