Loneliness is Crippling

    As I write this paper, I am locked in my room due to a snowstorm. My roommate went home for the storm, and I am alone. While it's nice to have the room to myself, I haven't talked to anybody face-to-face in two days. I'm starting to long for human interaction again, and I know if I stayed here for a few more days the longing would increase. Humans are implicitly social creatures. The social connections we make have helped us to survive and populate the earth. Interacting with others and forming bonds is evolutionarily ingrained into our minds [1]. The loneliness we feel when we lack human interaction is not only unpleasant, but a powerful stressor that can cause and exacerbate negative mental health effects.

    My mother has Bipolar II disorder. It is a serious mental illness which is characterized by depressive and hypomanic episodes. A depressive episode is a prolonged period of lethargy, poor mood, appetite loss, and loss of interest in activity. A hypomanic episode is a prolonged period of euphoria, irritability, racing thoughts, and decreased sleep. These episodes are very scary to witness, especially when it's someone I love so very much. The circumstances in which these episodes occur, at least in my experience, appear to be linked to loneliness.

    My mother and father are divorced and live in separate households. When we are home, my brother and I typically split the time we spend between the two households evenly. If anything, we spend a bit more time with our mother because she needs it. Sometimes, when my brother and I leave my mother's house, it will trigger a depressive episode. She will go to sleep on Friday, and won't leave bed until Sunday. No eating, and only getting up to use the bathroom. This only happens when my brother and I aren't home. There is indeed academic evidence that loneliness can cause and exacerbate mental illness. 

    A research article published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) states that "loneliness is positively correlated with negative feelings and negative judgment of personality attributes" among individuals who are both depressed and lonely [2]. A study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry is used as evidence of this claim [3]. A study of 55 elderly people (aged 60 - 80) in Delhi (India), found an increase in levels of depression linked with an increase in levels of loneliness. This conclusion held true for all genders. This was done by administering questionnaires to each elderly individual. The questionnaires were based on the UCLA loneliness scale, Beck depression inventory, and Eysenck personality profiler. The study supports the possibility that loneliness may exacerbate depressive symptoms, similar to what I have observed in my own experience.

    Not just depression, but many other mental illnesses are linked to loneliness. The JCDR research article also provides links between loneliness and Alzheimer's. Study results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly showed a correlation between dementia and feelings of loneliness. Participants were followed for three years, and various surveys were used to determine "the association between social isolation and feelings of loneliness and the risk of dementia, controlling for sociodemographic factors, medical conditions, depression, cognitive functioning and functional status" [4]. The study concluded that loneliness is associated with a more than two-fold risk of dementia. The JCDR research article provides further evidence for the link between loneliness and alcoholism, personality disorders, stress, irregular sleep, and more.

    A link between loneliness and mental illness has been established. However, why this link exists and the mechanisms involved remain unclear. A research article published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Brain Science attempts to explain the mechanism. The authors of the article state "loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions" [5]. Inflammation is the immune system's complex response to various stressors. Inflammation is known to have links to depressive behavior, and loneliness is thought to be a cause of inflammation. While this mechanism is still somewhat theoretical, it is a plausible link between the psychology and physiology of loneliness.

    Human beings need a dose of human interaction to be healthy. When my mother experiences depressive episodes, my brother and I rush to her side and provide comfort. This, more than anything else, seems to be the best remedy. We get her out of bed, make her something to eat, and keep her company. If someone you love is struggling with mental illness, or just having a hard time, being there for them is the most precious gift you can give.