11 Proofs That Prolonged Loneliness Is Dangerous to Your Health

Everyone sometimes needs privacy to think a little and take a break from others. However, prolonged loneliness is not only unpleasant, it is also dangerous for health. Sarah Shourd, a young woman who spent more than a year in solitary confinement, held prisoner by Iranian authorities, shared her harrowing experience in an interview and told how the isolation affected her mind.

Scientists around the world have studied loneliness for many years. It works differently in everyone, but most people experience the same problems when forced to spend a lot of time in isolation.

O incredible.club shares with you the opinion of scientists about why it is dangerous to be alone and what to do to avoid it.

Scientists have long found that long-term isolation harms human health not only at the level of the psyche, but also at the physical level. Lonely people tend to have low immunity, high blood pressure and a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia.

Scientists associate this isolation effect with our distant ancestors, for whom separation from the general group posed a serious danger. And even though the dangers of the Stone Age are behind us, our bodies still react poorly to loneliness.

In 2008, Ian Robbins conducted an experiment. He locked several volunteers in soundproof cells for 48 hours. The result was manifested quickly: the first symptoms were anxiety, excessive emotion and it all ended with incoherent thoughts and even hallucinations.

Participants in that same experiment had all sorts of hallucinations: from bright spots in space to squirrels marching with bags on their backs. Most hallucinations were visual, but there were also auditory and even tactile ones. One of the participants, for example, claimed that he had been shot with a gun.

The reasons for this have not yet been fully studied, but scientists have a theory. The brain suffers from a lack of information from outside. But the nervous system keeps sending signals to the brain, even if they are false. The brain, in turn, tries to create a coherent picture from false signals, which our psyche so needs. As a result, hallucinations occur.

Thus, Sarah Shourd said: “For several days I clearly heard footsteps along the corridor, although there was no one there. I started to notice little lights with side vision, but they disappeared when I turned my head. Once I heard a terrifying scream that lasted forever, and then I felt like one of the guards was trying to get me to react. Then I realized it had been mine
scream itself.

This may seem obvious, but nevertheless it should be noted that with a higher degree of loneliness, the risk of suicide also increases. It doesn’t matter if the person suffers isolation due to external reasons or personal problems: thoughts of suicide are more common among lonely people.

This led scientists to consider loneliness a problem, like a disease that can and should be treated, especially if a person is closed in on himself, living in a big city.

Studies have shown that lonely people, for the most part, feel less happy and less satisfied, and are more prone to pessimism and helplessness.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that loneliness itself reduces self-esteem, work efficiency, and problem-solving ability. In addition, being isolated for a long time, a person loses social skills and it becomes increasingly difficult for him to relate to others.

Loneliness is unanimously recognized by scientists as a contributing factor to the development of alcoholism. In addition, drinking becomes a supporting factor, that is, it becomes more difficult for a lonely person to resist a bad habit.

At each stage of alcoholism, the fewer social connections a person has, the harder it is for them. This is due to the lack of necessary support and strong social pressure.

Scientists have discovered that loneliness alters the immune system at the cellular level. The reasons for this are unknown, but the fact is that single people are more likely to get sick than socially active people. Perhaps this is due to the general level of stress that increases in conditions of social exclusion.

At the moment, it’s just a theory. Still, some scientists hypothesize that the inability (or inability) to satisfy basic emotional needs plays a crucial role in the development of schizoid personality disorder.

The impossibility of normal communication leads to an increase in strong emotions, the pattern of social behavior itself is changed, and as a result, the personality disorder progresses.

Of course, loneliness cannot be the sole cause of all serious mental disorders. However, it greatly aggravates the symptoms and contributes to the progress of the disease.

Loneliness leads to poor sleep, scientists say. The ensuing consequences are a low level of energy during the day and a feeling of constant fatigue.

And what is changed is not the duration of sleep, but its quality. Scientists have associated loneliness with poor sleep quality, that is, with micro-awakenings that a person does not notice, but as a result have a strong effect on the general condition and productivity.

One of the interesting studies showed that loneliness can be contagious. If there is a person suffering from loneliness near you, your own feeling of being lonely will increase by an average of 52%. It sounds paradoxical, but it is so, because even people who live in big cities and have a fairly active external social life also suffer from a feeling of loneliness.

Loneliness can pose a serious health risk. The study of people in social isolation led scientists to the conclusion that they die prematurely almost twice as often.

The highest risk of dying from loneliness is comparable to the death rate from smoking. And loneliness is almost twice as deadly as obesity.

Social isolation deteriorates the immune system, increases the risk of inflammation that leads to arthritis, diabetes and heart disease.

In the last decade, loneliness has doubled: 40% of respondents said they felt lonely, up from 20% in the 1980s.

Sarah Shourd, who has spent more than a year in isolation as a prisoner of Iranian authorities, is undergoing psychotherapy. Her interview attracted public attention to such a problem as secluded prison. It is currently allowed almost everywhere in the world, despite the fact that the young woman herself compares it to physical torture. See what Sarah said:

“You don’t have to hit someone to hurt them. Solitary confinement will leave no trace, but its consequences are serious and long-lasting. After my release, I couldn’t even talk to people, I couldn’t look at them. I wanted to escape society and now I am still suffering from insomnia and having nightmares. I think that prolonged isolation is a cruel punishment that should be considered torture, and I demand that this inhumane practice be stopped in
Worldwide”.

Loneliness can be overcome. Of course, if you find yourself in physical isolation, you will need to work harder. For example, people who have spent many months in solitary confinement tend to save themselves by exercising their brain. A mathematician, imprisoned for long months, solved equations in her mind, created mathematical exercises and dictated imaginary lessons.

But in practice, the loneliness of the “big city” can be much more dangerous for us. However, it is easier to overcome.

Get ready for the fact that this will require conscious effort on your part. But it will be worth it because eventually you will be happier and healthier. Admit the problem. You can communicate with dozens of people, but in most cases, loneliness is an internal problem. Detect all the negative manifestations of loneliness. This will help you gather strength to fight back. Think about what you do most when you are in the company of other people. This will be the first stage in building or restoring social ties. Dedicate time and energy to developing relationships with people you care about and who understand you. Remember that relationships take effort, as do all the good things in our lives.

Be optimist. This attracts others and also allows you to see your problems in a completely different light. After all, you have all the tools you need to overcome loneliness. Or better yet, don’t let it develop.