Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauseSymptomsComplicationsLifestyle TipsPreventionWhen to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cause
Symptoms
Complications
Lifestyle Tips
Prevention
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Chronic loneliness occurs when a person experiences loneliness for an extended period. It’s not a diagnosable mental health condition, but it can affect your emotional and physical health.
Loneliness is a feeling of lack of a sense of belonging or lack of meaningful or close relationships.There are different types of loneliness:
This article explains how to recognize chronic loneliness, possible complications, and potential ways to ease the feeling.
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Why Do People Become Lonely?
There are many reasons you may experience loneliness. Often, people experience a preceding event or change in circumstances that cause emotional or physical separation from their existing network. Some examples of things that contribute to loneliness include:
Loneliness Is SubjectiveLoneliness is a subjective, emotional experience.It is not the same as social isolation, an objective measure of someone having limited social interaction. Instead, loneliness is a person’s perception and experience of their social interaction. Two people could have the same amount of social interaction, which may cause one person to feel lonely while another is content.
Loneliness Is Subjective
Loneliness is a subjective, emotional experience.It is not the same as social isolation, an objective measure of someone having limited social interaction. Instead, loneliness is a person’s perception and experience of their social interaction. Two people could have the same amount of social interaction, which may cause one person to feel lonely while another is content.
Symptoms of Chronic Loneliness
Loneliness is emotional. Being lonely can feel distressing, isolating, numbing, hopeless, or like you don’t matter. Chronic loneliness can also lead to symptoms that affect your day-to-day life. These can include:
Feeling lonely over a long period can cause low mood and stress and raise your risk of certain mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and dementia.
How Can You Tell If You’re Chronically Lonely?If you’ve experienced the symptoms of loneliness for a long time—whether weeks, months, or years—you could be chronically lonely.
How Can You Tell If You’re Chronically Lonely?
If you’ve experienced the symptoms of loneliness for a long time—whether weeks, months, or years—you could be chronically lonely.
Potential Complications From Chronic Loneliness
Feeling lonely for too long can lead to complications, including a higher risk of certain mental illnesses and physical health conditions, including the following:
Seek HelpIf you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call911. For more mental health resources, see Verywell’sNational Helpline Database.
Seek Help
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call911. For more mental health resources, see Verywell’sNational Helpline Database.
Lifestyle Tips to Feel Less Lonely
Feeling less lonely is easier said than done. Although loneliness can be challenging, it is a normal human experience and should not make you feel shame or embarrassment.
Some lifestyle changes to work through chronic loneliness include:
How to Prevent Chronic Loneliness
Many lifestyle tips above for coping with chronic loneliness can also work to prevent it.
It can be hard to integrate these strategies into your daily life, but keep the lines of communication open with your loved ones. If you start to feel left out or lonely, express this.
People may not have realized they were excluding you or that you’re feeling lonely, and they may try to involve you in the future. If they don’t, you can take this as a sign to try and make new friends.
Making an effort to welcome and involve other people in social settings can also go a long way toward alleviating both your loneliness and theirs.
Remember that it’s normal to feel lonely now and then; it is a healthy part of the human spectrum of emotion. Taking the steps above can help prevent that transient feeling from becoming long-term.
In some cases, chronic loneliness can lead to depression and physical health problems. Talk to a healthcare provider about your concerns. They may be able to refer you to a qualified therapist or counselor or recommend local support groups.
Summary
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Loneliness.Mansfield L, Victor C, Meads C, et al.A conceptual review of loneliness in adults: qualitative evidence synthesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11522. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111522Mind.About loneliness.Campaign to End Loneliness.Facts and statistics about loneliness.National Health Service.Dealing with loneliness.Morr M, Liu X, Hurlemann R, Becker B, Scheele D.Chronic loneliness: neurocognitive mechanisms and interventions.Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2022;91(4):227-237. doi:10.1159/000524157Erzen E, Çikrikci Ö.The effect of loneliness on depression: a meta-analysis.Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018;64(5):427-435. doi:10.1177/0020764018776349Lee SL, Pearce E, Ajnakina O, et al.The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(1):48-57. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30383-7Lyyra N, Thorsteinsson EB, Eriksson C, et al. The association between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem among adolescents in four nordic countries.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7405. doi:10.3390/ijerph18147405Van Bogart K, Engeland CG, Sliwinski MJ, et al.The association between loneliness and inflammation: findings from an older adult sample.Front Behav Neurosci. 2022;15:801746. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2021.801746Rosenkilde S, Hoffmann SH, Thorsted AB, et al.Loneliness and the risk of type 2 diabetes.BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care. 2024;12(2):e003934. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2023-003934Cené CW, Beckie TM, Sims M, et al.Effects of objective and perceived social isolation on cardiovascular and brain health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.JAHA. 2022;11(16):e026493. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.026493National Institute on Aging.Loneliness and social isolation - tips for staying connected.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Loneliness.Mansfield L, Victor C, Meads C, et al.A conceptual review of loneliness in adults: qualitative evidence synthesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11522. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111522Mind.About loneliness.Campaign to End Loneliness.Facts and statistics about loneliness.National Health Service.Dealing with loneliness.Morr M, Liu X, Hurlemann R, Becker B, Scheele D.Chronic loneliness: neurocognitive mechanisms and interventions.Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2022;91(4):227-237. doi:10.1159/000524157Erzen E, Çikrikci Ö.The effect of loneliness on depression: a meta-analysis.Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018;64(5):427-435. doi:10.1177/0020764018776349Lee SL, Pearce E, Ajnakina O, et al.The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(1):48-57. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30383-7Lyyra N, Thorsteinsson EB, Eriksson C, et al. The association between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem among adolescents in four nordic countries.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7405. doi:10.3390/ijerph18147405Van Bogart K, Engeland CG, Sliwinski MJ, et al.The association between loneliness and inflammation: findings from an older adult sample.Front Behav Neurosci. 2022;15:801746. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2021.801746Rosenkilde S, Hoffmann SH, Thorsted AB, et al.Loneliness and the risk of type 2 diabetes.BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care. 2024;12(2):e003934. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2023-003934Cené CW, Beckie TM, Sims M, et al.Effects of objective and perceived social isolation on cardiovascular and brain health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.JAHA. 2022;11(16):e026493. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.026493National Institute on Aging.Loneliness and social isolation - tips for staying connected.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Loneliness.Mansfield L, Victor C, Meads C, et al.A conceptual review of loneliness in adults: qualitative evidence synthesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11522. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111522Mind.About loneliness.Campaign to End Loneliness.Facts and statistics about loneliness.National Health Service.Dealing with loneliness.Morr M, Liu X, Hurlemann R, Becker B, Scheele D.Chronic loneliness: neurocognitive mechanisms and interventions.Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2022;91(4):227-237. doi:10.1159/000524157Erzen E, Çikrikci Ö.The effect of loneliness on depression: a meta-analysis.Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018;64(5):427-435. doi:10.1177/0020764018776349Lee SL, Pearce E, Ajnakina O, et al.The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(1):48-57. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30383-7Lyyra N, Thorsteinsson EB, Eriksson C, et al. The association between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem among adolescents in four nordic countries.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7405. doi:10.3390/ijerph18147405Van Bogart K, Engeland CG, Sliwinski MJ, et al.The association between loneliness and inflammation: findings from an older adult sample.Front Behav Neurosci. 2022;15:801746. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2021.801746Rosenkilde S, Hoffmann SH, Thorsted AB, et al.Loneliness and the risk of type 2 diabetes.BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care. 2024;12(2):e003934. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2023-003934Cené CW, Beckie TM, Sims M, et al.Effects of objective and perceived social isolation on cardiovascular and brain health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.JAHA. 2022;11(16):e026493. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.026493National Institute on Aging.Loneliness and social isolation - tips for staying connected.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Loneliness.
Mansfield L, Victor C, Meads C, et al.A conceptual review of loneliness in adults: qualitative evidence synthesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11522. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111522
Mind.About loneliness.
Campaign to End Loneliness.Facts and statistics about loneliness.
National Health Service.Dealing with loneliness.
Morr M, Liu X, Hurlemann R, Becker B, Scheele D.Chronic loneliness: neurocognitive mechanisms and interventions.Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2022;91(4):227-237. doi:10.1159/000524157
Erzen E, Çikrikci Ö.The effect of loneliness on depression: a meta-analysis.Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018;64(5):427-435. doi:10.1177/0020764018776349
Lee SL, Pearce E, Ajnakina O, et al.The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study.The Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(1):48-57. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30383-7
Lyyra N, Thorsteinsson EB, Eriksson C, et al. The association between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem among adolescents in four nordic countries.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7405. doi:10.3390/ijerph18147405
Van Bogart K, Engeland CG, Sliwinski MJ, et al.The association between loneliness and inflammation: findings from an older adult sample.Front Behav Neurosci. 2022;15:801746. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2021.801746
Rosenkilde S, Hoffmann SH, Thorsted AB, et al.Loneliness and the risk of type 2 diabetes.BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care. 2024;12(2):e003934. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2023-003934
Cené CW, Beckie TM, Sims M, et al.Effects of objective and perceived social isolation on cardiovascular and brain health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.JAHA. 2022;11(16):e026493. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.026493
National Institute on Aging.Loneliness and social isolation - tips for staying connected.
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