Social isolation decreases self-care behaviors in people with chronic illnesses. Stigma related to the chronic illness undermines social interactions and predisposes people to loneliness. Social disconnectedness and loneliness in chronic illness patients significantly increase health service use.
A chronic physical illness could limit mobility and functioning, and reduce participation in social activities or opportunities for meaningful contact, causing social isolation and loneliness (Del Pozo Cruz et al., 2021).
Be part of your local community. Being part of a local community is a very helpful way to cope with loneliness. Even if it's hard to be as sociable as you would like due to your illness, getting involved with local life is still possible.
Pain makes us turn inward
These inward-turning feelings can increase social isolation and loneliness. Many people who suffer from chronic pain find it very difficult to explain their feelings to those who do not suffer and may shut down even further. It's a vicious cycle.
Grief, for a lost lifestyle or for a future that will not unfold as planned, is a common reaction to a diagnosis of chronic illness. So are changes in mood, even from day to day, as well as distress or frustration that one's options and outlook are so dependent on their physical health.
Living with chronic pain provokes a lot of negative emotions like sadness, anger, frustration and hopelessness. At times, these emotions can erupt or explode into an attack on whoever is nearby. You might be blamed for something. You might be accused of something.
Chronic pain can often sap all the joy out of your life. It doesn't have to stay that way though! Once you get a handle on your chronic pain and figure out how to manage your symptoms, you can start to find joy in your life again!. Finding joy can be anything that makes you happy!
Other factors that may increase the likelihood that you'll experience chronic loneliness include: Being left out of social activities because of a lack of money. Health or physical issues that make it hard for you to get out. Being a single parent or a caregiver.
Loneliness can lead to various psychiatric disorders like depression, alcohol abuse, child abuse, sleep problems, personality disorders and Alzheimer's disease.
Illness-related anxiety and stress also can trigger symptoms of depression. Depression is common among people who have chronic illnesses such as: Alzheimer's disease. Autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.
Studies show that loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risks for health problems such as heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline. If you are in poor health, you may be more likely to be socially isolated or lonely.
Loneliness May Warp Our Genes, And Our Immune Systems
But, among those who did become ill, those who were lonely were almost 39 percent more likely to report higher-severity symptoms than those who were less lonely, says LeRoy.
However, you can't tell a person suffering from a chronic illness that “everyone has bad days.” It's like telling someone to stop complaining. It invalidates their pain or illness. Instead, let them know they're not alone and that you're there for them.
Reduce stress in your life. Stress intensifies chronic pain. Negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body's sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress, you may find some relief from chronic pain.
Additionally, chronic pain sufferers struggle to get quality sleep and tend to experience fear, anxiety and depression more frequently. Research shows that the brain processes pain very differently when it is short term or long term.
Adults reporting poor general health and adults with a disability experienced an exceptionally high prevalence of chronic pain (67.6% and 52.4%, respectively) and high-impact chronic pain (48.7% and 32.0%, respectively).
The percentage of adults who had chronic pain in the past 3 months increased with age and was higher among those aged 45–64 (25.8%) and 65 and over (30.8%) compared with those aged 18–29 (8.5%) and 30–44 (14.6%) (Figure 2).
Over time, chronic pain may wear a person down until they become withdrawn. They may become only a shadow of their former self. They may disengage from previous activities, give up on dreams and goals, or experience negative personality changes.
One of the biggest challenges of living with chronic illness can be the lack of support and understanding from others. Symptoms of chronic illness, including extreme fatigue, brain fog and debilitating pain, may be dismissed by doctors and even family members as a mental health issue.
Studies show that chronic illness can increase the likelihood of divorce by up to 75 percent, particularly when the chronically ill person is female.
For some people, having a chronic illness completely changes the way they think about themselves; among people who are equally physically impaired, some will see themselves as much more altered than others. For instance, one study of men with prostate cancer showed that one-third said they felt less masculine.