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.
Being Alone Can Be Bad for Our Health
Too much time alone is bad for our physical health. Studies have found that social isolation and loneliness can increase the likelihood of mortality by up to 30%.
Choosing to stay alone and preferring to spend time with yourself is not wrong. It is normal to want to isolate yourself but when this self-imposed isolation begins to harm the other aspects of your life, then it can be a problem and can indicate underlying symptoms of poor mental health.
Our study also included neuroimaging (MRI) data from approximately 32,000 people. This showed that socially isolated people had poorer cognition, including in memory and reaction time, and lower volume of grey matter in many parts of the brain.
Isolation is a result of anxiety and depression in that some individuals use it as a self-induced coping mechanism to deal with excessive worry and avoid human interaction. For others, isolation is a key driver of anxiety and depression, craving the support and stimulation that socialisation provides.
Social isolation and loneliness are under-recognized determinants of cardiovascular and brain health, the report found. "There is strong evidence linking social isolation and loneliness with increased risk of worse heart and brain health in general," Cené said.
Recent studies found that: Social isolation significantly increased a person's risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. Social isolation was associated with about a 50% increased risk of dementia.
Similarly, some patients isolated in intensive care units also develop a psychotic syndrome including visual hallucinations and paranoid delusion, unrelated to their neurological condition (Granberg-Axèll et al., 2001).
You should stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Loneliness can easily lead to addiction, and once addiction encompasses one's life, the cycle becomes harder to break. You may have heard that the opposite of addiction is connection, and there is truth in that. Without connections with others, the chances of recovery are slim to none.
While too much socializing is overwhelming, solitude is intrinsic to regaining that spent energy. After being alone, introverts feel strengthened and restored, ready to face the world again (or at least Zoom). No one, regardless of their personality, can bounce around all the time.
Schedule time each day to stay in touch with family, friends, and neighbors in person, by email, social media, voice call, or text. Talk with people you trust and share your feelings. Suggest an activity to help nurture and strengthen existing relationships.
Isolation can be discontinued at least 5 days after symptom onset (day 0 is the day symptoms appeared, and day 1 is the next full day thereafter) if fever has resolved for at least 24 hours (without taking fever-reducing medications) and other symptoms are improving.
Everyone's immune response is different, and we can spread the virus for different amounts of time. Masking on days 6-10 helps reduce the risk that we will get others sick after recovering from COVID-19. Most people are no longer infectious after day 10.
Continued social isolation increases the risk of developing disorders like depression and anxiety, but it can be especially harmful for those who already struggle with anxiety and depression, as it can exacerbate symptoms. Fortunately, mental health services are considered essential.
Research suggests that social isolation (i.e. limited social interaction with other children) and poor or disrupted interpersonal relations during childhood, teen and early adult years appears to increase an individuals risk for future development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
Feeling lonely can also have a negative impact on your mental health, especially if these feelings have lasted a long time. Some research suggests that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems and increased stress.
Depression, anxiety, sleep disruption and loneliness can be inter-connected and are just some effects that may linger as the quarantine begins to lift. If symptoms persist beyond four months, you may be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It can also push into overthinking mode
Loneliness can make you an overthinker, leading to unsavoury feelings like anxiousness, aggression, and irritability.
Isolation can lead to depression, which in turn can lead to troubles at work and job loss, financial problems, lack of self-care and failure to seek medical attention. Extreme cases may even entertain suicidal ideations that could, if left unaddressed, lead to action.
“Stress and isolation themselves can weaken our body's ability to fight infection, and, therefore, we may get sicker with exposure to a virus after periods of stress,” says Dr. Neely.
Social isolation can last for a few months or several years. Ultimately, social isolation has two major causes: the first is physical limitations from socializing, like adjusting to the new normal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The second is internal limitations, like mental health issues or social anxiety.
Anxiety and depression caused by joblessness can exacerbate the desire for isolation. Having to dip into savings to support yourself can also make you prone to staying inside to avoid spending. Often, people don't realize how much they relied on work to get them out of the house.
Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and even death.