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Physical Effects of Loneliness

Human beings are social creatures. With an inherent need for maintaining some sort of connection with other people, human beings who are not having necessary interactions with others must cope with feelings of loneliness. Loneliness, when left untreated, can be the catalyst for propelling a person into dangerous and damaging behaviors and conditions.

  1. Addiction

    • Developing an addiction, either to drugs or alcohol, is one of the leading physical effects of chronic loneliness. While initial occurrences of such behavior are not classified as addiction, a continued and demonstrated trend of a person using drugs or alcohol to such a severity that it hurts themselves or others is addictive behavior. When dependence reaches an extreme level such as this, it is necessary to intervene with rehabilitation to assist the addict in stopping this behavior and coping with their feelings of loneliness.

    Depression

    • Depression and extended loneliness are two mental conditions that usually walk in tandem. Without the gratification of human interaction, a person suffering from loneliness can fall into depression because of immeasurable feelings of sadness and melancholy. Depression is a mental condition with symptoms such as excessive sleeping, irritability and general loss of interest in life. For those dealing with loneliness and the subsequent physical and mental effects of depression, it can make meeting new people and combating loneliness extremely difficult.

    Weight Gain

    • When faced with the uneasy feelings of loneliness, some people cope with it by overeating in an effort to ignore their mental state. If this behavior continues for an extended period, the person dealing with loneliness can also find themselves dealing with the reality of weight gain. Those who are gaining weight because of feelings of loneliness do have options. Join a gym or outdoor exercise group and you can both shed excess pounds and meet new people with one activity. By taking small steps such as this, you can effectively combat loneliness and this physical effect.

    High Blood Pressure

    • According to researchers at the University of Chicago, adults from ages 50 to 68 with the highest levels of loneliness suffer from high blood pressure. Unfortunately, having a chronically high blood pressure level is a leading risk factor of heart disease. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of adults in the United States.

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