![](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2d\/PresleyPromo1954PhotoOnly.jpg\/220px-PresleyPromo1954PhotoOnly.jpg\")
Exploring the Forms and Effects of Loneliness<\/h1>\nExploring the Forms and Effects of Loneliness<\/h1>\nIn November of 1960 Elvis Presley sang<\/a> Roy Turk\u2019s lyrics to teenagers through their transistor radios:<\/p>\n Are you lonesome tonight<\/em> -Roy Turk \u2013 1926<\/p>\n The theme was so popular the song was released by popular singers and bands more than seven times\u2026each time becoming a hit.<\/p>\n Human beings are social by nature and need human interaction and connectedness. When people experience adequate levels of human interaction and connectedness, they feel a sense of satisfaction. On the other hand, when people are experiencing inadequate levels of interaction and connectedness, they feel lonely \u2013 something\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n Therefore, loneliness is a noticeable difference between people\u2019s desired level of social interaction and the actual level of social interaction. Loneliness is a sense of connection to others who help to satisfy one\u2019s needs. It is the feeling of no one to talk, relate, or share with \u2013 even though people are all around. Being with loved ones does not guarantee absence of loneliness.<\/p>\n Loneliness is not synonymous with being alone. People who are alone are by themselves and not with other people. Some people view aloneness as a positive and others see it as negative.<\/p>\n In our society filled with people who communicate primarily with a wide variety of technology, face-to-face social interaction has become less common, feelings of connectedness are rare, and people are lonelier than ever before. Technology can provide a false sense of being connected twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This feeling of virtual connection, however, may be deceiving, and people benefit with social face-to-face connections with other people.<\/p>\n People experience loneliness for many different reasons. Most of these reasons are related to feeling a lack of social support and fall into five basic categories:<\/p>\n Almost everyone will experience loneliness from time to time. Different forms of loneliness exist.<\/p>\n Situational Loneliness<\/strong> \u2013people feel lonely due to a situation or experience. This is a temporary situation.\u00a0 An example would be moving to a new city where a person does not have any friends and has not made any acquaintances. Even though this situation brings on feelings of loneliness, these feelings will naturally disappear once the person has made new friends. This state of loneliness is usually a transient form of loneliness that changes as the situation or circumstances change.<\/p>\n Chronic Loneliness<\/strong> \u2013 This is a form of loneliness that persists over time, regardless of the situation or circumstances. This chronic form of loneliness usually results from having a weak or non-existent support system, a lack of social skills, shyness, and\/or low self-confidence. An example would be a person who lacks the self-confidence to initiate conversations when meeting new people, or a person who fears being alone. This type of loneliness often requires the person to take action and build a new set of social skills. A specific type of this loneliness involves people with mental health issues. Even if they have a great support system and are surrounded by those who care, their issues cause them to feel alienated and lonely. They need to see a medical professional if it continues.<\/p>\n As loneliness becomes a bigger problem for people on all levels of society, it is important to distinguish the specific symptoms of loneliness. Because loneliness is an extreme emotional state in which people experience powerful feelings of isolation from others, it is accompanied by a variety of thoughts and feelings. People who are lonely will exhibit many of the following symptoms:<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling \u201chollow\u201d inside<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling alienated from other people<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you are alone, even though you<\/p>\n are surrounded with others<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you are not accepted<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you are not as worthwhile<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you are not loved<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you cannot make friends or build<\/p>\n stronger relationships with acquaintances<\/p>\n <\/td>\n interests and values as those around you<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you have nobody with whom to<\/p>\n share personal concerns and experiences<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling cutoff or disconnected<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling damaged and unloved<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling empty<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling lost with no direction<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling physical pain akin to a \u201cbroken heart\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling sad<\/p>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Negative feelings of loneliness can lead to a variety of other health-related concerns and stress-related conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure\u00a0and stroke. In addition, loneliness is often related to addiction, various forms of anti-social behavior, disrupted\u00a0<\/span>sleep
\nDo you miss me tonight?<\/em>
\nAre you sorry we drifted apart?<\/em><\/p>\nWhat is Loneliness?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n\n
\n \u2022 Crying a lot of the time<\/p>\n \u2022 Feeling as if you do not have the same<\/p>\n Effects of Loneliness<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Effects](\"https:\/\/wholeperson.com\/store\/media\/products\/Coping-with-Loneliness-Set.gif\")
<\/a>patterns and various mental-health conditions. People experiencing long-term (chronic) form of loneliness are more susceptible to experiencing these wider effects of loneliness. If your participants are experiencing any of these effects, suggest they see a medical professional.<\/span><\/p>\n