Does loneliness lead to mental illness?

Question

Or is it just the old phrase"loneliness does strange things to a person."

Answer 1

We are social creatures...Definitely...

Answer 2

More often, the feeling of loneliness is the result of a mental illness. However, the term "Mental Illness" should be qualified because there is such a wide variety of diagnoses, ranging from (Axis 11) including personality disorders, thought disorders, psychosis & more ..... to the more benign and common diagnosis (Axis 1) including mild depression, anxiety and others that are more easily treated.

It is not likely that typical loneliness leads to a mental illness, although depression can lead to feeling lonely.

So, it is possible that you have some depression, for example and the question is: did that cause your feelings of loneliness?

Considering that depression is so common and , it can create situations that result in the feeling of loneliness. For example depression causes isolation, withdrawal symptoms, difficulty maintaining relationships, trouble functioning on many levels, and family conflicts. All of this can cause the feeling of loneliness.

Many people are alone but don't feel lonely, but depression can make it difficult to be with oneself and to be happy alone.

The question is valid and worth pursuing, but I suggest focusing more on how you are feeling and less on 'what caused what'. You may have some depressive symptoms if you ever feel sad, tearful, left out, trouble sleeping or eating, and an overall problem functioning.

If that is the case, it would be worth checking with your doctor to find a referral so you can get a good diagnosis. Depression can be treated and you could feel better if that were the diagnosis.

If there is no depression, the conclusion must be that you truly are lonely because of your lifestyle. If that is true, you can work toward a change in your living conditions to include more people in your life, and look at the reasons you might be alone.
I hope the best for you to discover what is really happening with you and to look for ways to improve the quality of your life.
You don't have to spend the rest of your life feeling this way.
Many people and resources can help.

Try to surround yourself with people who care about you, and stay involved in activities that interest you.

Best wishes!

Answer 3

I think it can do...complete isolation from humanity definitely causes problems, loneliness is less clear cut. Some people are affected differently, and more severely than others. I don't think it automatically leads to mental illness by any means, and equally I don't think that negative mental states should automatically be considered to be an illness.

Answer 4

Loneliness is often traced back to low self esteem. That is the true cause of most mental illnesses. Loneliness is just an early symptom.

Answer 5

No,I don't think loneliness can lead to mental illness. There are some people who have a lot of friends around them, yet , they went crazy and kill themselves. A person can be lonely sometime and it is just normal, we are only human.Yes, a lonely person can do strange things,(example: masturbation) but if you could just keep yourself busy all the time to keep your mind off of being lonely, I think there will be no problem. Exercise is the best remedy for it.

Answer 6

No, loneliness in itself doesnt not lead to mental illness, as long as it is chosen by the person him/herself freely. There are many people who live perfectly happy in isolated areas of the world. But the modern society with its hectic lifestyle and constant interaction from everyone surrounding the person, you end up being very relying on each other. This can have both possitive and negative influences on your state of mind.

Answer 7

Most mental illness comes from biopsychosocial factors. Multiple factors add up to create a problem. Circumstantial loneliness can be a contributing factor for depression (and most probably other stuff too). And, the kicker: once it causes depression, depression causes behaviors that will isolate the person: keeping them lonely. Positive feedback.

Answer 8

Speaking as one who has lived alone for some time, loneliness can cause us to behave strangely. Either you spend all your time in your house not saying anything, or you talk to yourself. They may not be aware of how loudly they talk when in conversation because they are unused to the need to control their voice. People can get strange habits because there is no-one there to address them. For instance, they may get in the habit of doing in the privacy of their houses things that are not socially acceptable outside. One example is eating habits. Another aspect of this is that our character development can become stalled. A person that leaves home in late teens or early twenties and lives by themselves is not shaped by the responsibilities of having a partner or children. If this continues for, say, 20 years, that person may have habits, interests, characteristics of a 20 year old. I would not call this mental illness, however.

All these are examples of ways I became socially skewed through living by myself. Now I have a church full of friends, two of which share my house, and I have lost much of my skewedness.

Answer 9

I'm not so sure about mental illness....but you do tend to get bored....there's nobody to talk to, you don't know what to do, you feel like your brain has nothing to do....anyway that's how I used to feel while I was alone at home, trying to find a job. Then I discovered Yahoo Answers. I think it's great, it kept me going! It's amazing how many people may have the same problems that you do and it's interesting to read the responses and pieces of advice. I'm sure soon enough you will over-come this feeling. Go out and do something like charity or volunteer work which will make you feel very appreciated.

Answer 10

Depends on what the person is in for the participation's in the society. We still need to get acquainted to fellow humans... but with animals... there is a strong possibility for mental illness in its loneliness.

Answer 11

it depends on whether you simply need time to be alone, to sort things out in your mind, which is very healthy, or if you are friendless; i.e., "lonely." if you are really lonely, you may lose REM sleep (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is deep sleep that your brain really needs to stay in balance. in fact, you really need plain old seep! however, sometimes actually BEING lonely can cause you to sleep too many hours a day. if you normally feel good with 8 hours of sleep, then when feeling lonely, sleep 10, 12, or more, or take more naps, or fall asleep while watching something that is utterly fascinating to you, it is an indication of depression.

depression is a mental disorder. it's very easily treated. but loneliness is not so easily treated: no psychiatrist can give you medication that will make you go out there to meet people, to sit down and talk with them. you do not need to go to a lonely hearts' club (per se), but to places where others who may be lonely go in order not to be lonely, like a supper club, or a group event whereby you talk about it to others.

if i lived in your life, i'd try to avoid the sadness of loneliness, but i'd do so carefully because if you latch onto a "user" by accident, out of loneliness, he/she could cause you to experience emotional anguish that is also equivalent to a mental disorder--not necessarily one that will put you into a psychiatric WARD--but one which will take a lot of sorting out with someone that honestly CARES about your welfare. choose your friends wisely!