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Physical Signs of Loneliness

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word lonely as "Cut off from others." Loneliness can progressively worsen if not remedied. The Veteran's and Families' Guide to PTSD articulates this unhealthy progression by stating that, "Loneliness is a feeling of lack of intimacy on many levels. Lack of intimacy may lead to emotional isolation, which may lead to social isolation." Some physical signs of loneliness can be observed in individuals that suffer from this condition.

  1. Poor Immune Funtion

    • Being lonely can cause you to get sick more often, or to recover more slowly from common ailments. This is due to the fact that loneliness results in a lower-functioning immune system. A professor at Ohio State University College of Medicine named Janice Kiecolt- Glaser, Ph.D., conducted an extensive study during the 1980s. According to the Oprah Magazine, Glaser's findings indicated that, "lonely individuals had poorer immune function than the nonlonely."

    Fatigue

    • According to the Psychologist website, lonely and socially isolated people report a poor quality of sleep, which can lead to a lingering feeling of fatigue. In addition, lonely individuals tend to struggle with an overall feeling of lethargy or lack of motivation. This lethargic feeling, combined with lack of sleep, results in a persistent feeling of fatigue.

    Decreased Circulatory System Function

    • A professor at the University of Chicago, John Cacioppo, Ph.D., organized experiments in 1995 to study how social isolation affects the circulatory system. He found that in young college students, isolation and its resulting feelings of loneliness caused an increased constriction of the blood vessels, also known as a high total peripheral resistance (TPR). This high TPR level did not directly affect the college students' blood pressure, but when Cacioppo studied older lonely people he found that they were prone to high blood pressure. His research indicates that over time, loneliness can cause high blood pressure.

    Appetite Swings

    • Barry Greenwald, Ph.D., reports that loneliness can cause "Changes in eating patterns; i.e., eating too much or loss of appetite." Greenwald ties loneliness with depression, and he indicates that many experts say that eating dysfunctions in depressed individuals help to prove that conditions like depression and loneliness are largely a biological issue.

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