Types of Loneliness

Types of Loneliness

Loneliness is a complex issue. How we experience it depends on many factors. Emotional researchers have identified four basic types of loneliness. We can experience one, two, three, or all four.

Emotional loneliness

Emotional loneliness is caused by past experiences. When we have been hurt or experienced trauma in the past, we may experience fear or hesitation in new relationships.

Some common issues related to emotional loneliness include difficulty trusting others, fear of abandonment, or fear of rejection.

Situational loneliness

Situational loneliness happens when events out of our control make us lonely. Not all situational loneliness is caused by something bad happening. A positive situation may also cause situational loneliness. Marriage or a new relationship can bring us happiness, but can also change our life balance. We may not spend as much time with friends. If this happens and we become lonely, we may need to take steps to create a new sense of balance in our lives.

Examples of situational loneliness include change in work, moving to a new area or community, major illness or the death of a loved one, and relationship changes. Sometimes we can change our situations. Changing our situations can ease our loneliness. Other times, we have to wait for the things around us to change.

Chronic loneliness

When situational loneliness goes on for a long time, it becomes chronic loneliness. Chronic loneliness can be the most difficult to deal with because it feels like it will never end.

Chronic loneliness can be caused by our personal situations or factors in our environments. These might include physical isolation, illness or disability, mental health or behavioral conditions, or unhealthy or stagnant relationships.

Chronic loneliness can be one of the most difficult forms of loneliness to deal with. It can also be triggered by any of the other three types of loneliness.

Social loneliness

A fourth type of loneliness is social loneliness. This is when we allow our lack of confidence to keep us from connecting. Some underlying personality or behavioral causes behind social loneliness are social anxiety, low self-esteem, or shyness.

Read more:

Loneliness. Mind Help. https://mind.help/topic/loneliness/Links to an external site. Links to an external site.