1. The concept of loneliness Loneliness and isolation have some commonalities so some people misunderstood their meanings and interchanged the term ‘isolation’ with ‘loneliness’. However, they are not synonymous. Social isolation is an objective state. This term refers to people having infrequent social interaction, living solo and can be measured through how many contacts a person have (Cutler 2012, p.7). It can not sure that social isolation makes people have the feelings of loneliness. Loneliness is likely to be experienced by those who are not socially isolated but isolation can become one of the factors leading to loneliness.
Unlike social isolation, loneliness is a subjective state. There is no worldwide definition of
…show more content…
Albeit there are diverse concepts, generally loneliness is a state of being alone or solitude as well as a feeling of separation or detachment. In a word, it is stress feeling and may have impacts on the health and well-being of the person undergoing the experience. 2. The reasons why loneliness is serious health problem to elders Feelings of loneliness can arise in any age group; however, loneliness is the biggest problem for elders due to its serious prevalence and impacts. The increase of the elderly population is one of the major contributors. In 2015, one in eight people worldwide was aged 60 or over and by 2030, older persons are predicted to account for one in six people globally (Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2015). With the number of old people is rising, the media also warned that a ‘demographic time bomb’ is about to explore in a few years (Heathcote and Hong 2009, p. 129) so it is emergent to address loneliness among the old people. Another reason is that older people are particularly vulnerable after having to witness the death of friends or spouse, experience the feelings of the loss of family, accepting reduced mobility or having limited income. Moreover, aging is associated with mental health risks. For many, the phenomenon of loneliness in old age has been highlighted as a global public health concern.
3.
Nouwen (1975) describes loneliness as a universal experience that affects even the most intimate relationships. He identifies loneliness as one of the universal sources of human suffering. Some of the mental suffering in the
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being isolated or abandoned. Being lonely is almost always directly connected to relations between people, or the lack there of. Mother Teresa once said “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” In John Steinbecks classic novel, Of Mice And Men, the three characters, Crooks, Curley’s wife and Candy struggle with loneliness in different forms because of characteristics that they can’t control. All three characters deal with their loneliness by searching for companionship with others on the ranch and this works out differently for each of them.
Social isolation is a social issue where people avoid contact with one society. They are commonly seen nowadays preventing people from interacting with another as well as creating reliable relations, abating any chances for one to realize their destiny. This negative spiral immensely affects the opportunity for people holding a feeling of love and community toward others.
“Actually, feeling lonely has little to do with how many friends you have. It 's the way you feel inside. Some people who feel lonely may rarely interact with people and others who are surrounded by people but don 't feel connected” (Karyn Hall 2013). Truthfully, loneliness is something almost all people fear. It 's a deeper feeling then just being isolated. It 's feeling distant or disconnected from others. Loneliness is so much more than just feeling secluded, it 's feeling rejected by society, or even like an outcast. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck suggests that there is a deeper meaning to being lonely than just the superficial sense of
Loneliness affects many people in the world. Kids are orphans and are, sometimes, abandoned. Elderly are sent to live in homes. These people are usually lonely because they don’t have anyone to talk to or anyone to care for them. They dream of a better life and a loving family every day.
The feeling of loneliness can be like a trap, the more you fall in, the more challenging it can be to get out. I first felt how isolating it can be as a little kid. My family picked up and moved to the Caribbean when I was in the second grade for my father’s work. Leaving all my friends behind was just the start. I felt trapped by my lack of ability to communicate with the people around me, and unable to relate to a culture that was so different from my own.
Oftentimes, people confuse loneliness with the state of being alone. When looking at the overall big picture, it is easy to forget that loneliness is temporary. People are not alone because even back in primitive times, they bore a natural instinct to strive for companionship in order to survive. Human imagination creates companions in cases of extreme loneliness which contradicts the state of being alone. Due to societal and family standards, others in society make it practically impossible to be alone. Mankind often goes through life without realizing the overwhelming amount of human contact and support. People are never alone, they are just simply
This study investigated the difference between emotional and social loneliness using structural equation modeling, evaluated whether a two-dimensional or unidimensional conception of loneliness provides a better fit to the data. Second, the extent to which positive and negative social exchanges are associated with older adults’ loneliness was examined. Third, they also investigated whether the structure and social-exchange correlates of loneliness differ for currently married versus formerly married older
Isolation is the feeling of being unable to experience shared meaning and belonging. The feeling of being unable to experience shared meaning is a major source of psychological distress.
There are many reasons to why elderly persons can fall at risk of social isolation and loneliness. These factors can range anywhere from
To conclude, this essay in overall reviewed two journal articles on the topic loneliness in older people. It examined the
The interpretation of a definition relies solely on the reader. There are endless possibilities for meanings as long as the reader is open minded and creative. When the word loneliness is heard, it is assumed to be taken negatively as the definition describes.The oxford definition of loneliness states:Sadness because one has no friends or company (“Loneliness”). Loneliness does not have to illustrate the image of someone in a dark corner, feeling depressed. Loneliness should be interpreted as self-reliable, and discovering oneself since not all people who do not have friends are depressed.
To be lonely is an easy thing, being alone is another matter entirely. To understand this, first one must understand the difference between loneliness and being alone. To be alone means that your are not in the company of anyone else. You are one. But loneliness can happen anytime, anywhere. You can be lonely in a crowd, lonely with friends, lonely with family. You can even be lonely while with loved ones. For feeling lonely, is in essence a feeling of being alone. As thought you were one and you feel as though you will always be that way. Loneliness can be one of the most destructive feelings humans are capable of feeling. For loneliness can lead to depression, suicide, and even to raging out and hurting friends and/or
Loneliness seems to have become a common characteristics that individuals share around the world. Although this is a subject that has been a part of discussions and a focus of research for many years in philosophy , theology, psychology and literature, the scientific study has had a relatively short record. In this day and age there have
According to George Monbiot’s article “The Age of Loneliness Is Killing Us” Monbiot states that society is shifting into isolation and loneliness. Instead of having the age of sharing and socializing. Each and every individual is wanting to stay alone with their own solitude and loneliness. Monbiot recognizes this damaging effect on society and states that how much dangerous it is. To start off. Monbiot claims that we as humans are social beings and always will be “We were social creatures from the start,” by disagreeing with Thomas Hobbes’s claim on our human state of nature “of every man against every man.” Monbiot sees this idea of every person on their own an epidemic of loneliness in today’s age, and how it