There’s a strong difference between being lonely and being alone. After spending many hours at work or having to attend social functions or having to attend school or college, it is normal to come home and want to spend time alone by yourself.  However, sometimes you may be so used to being by yourself that you may feel disconnected from the outside world when you spend too much time by yourself. 

Long-term feelings of loneliness can affect your health because it can increase the cortisol levels in the body.  Cortisol is a hormone that is made by your body when you are stressed. Chronic stress has been shown to be associated with the following conditions

• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease
• Substance use

Click to view Psych2Go video on 7 Signs You May be Lonely

These are some signs which suggest that you may be spending too much time by yourself

• You have difficulty sleeping (click to learn more https://blog.teleme.co/2019/06/11/healthy-sleep-tips/)
• You have anxiety or stress issues(click to learn more https://blog.teleme.co/2019/06/11/importance-of-stress-management/)
• You spend a lot of time at home in your pyjamas in bed or on the sofa
• You have difficulty at social functions
• You prefer shopping for material things rather than enjoying other people’s company
• You start to gain weight because of poor eating habits when you eat by yourself
• You don’t enjoy doing things by yourself anymore

Chronic loneliness may not be limited to just feelings of social isolation. You may have some self-confidence issues or deeply rooted negative beliefs about yourself which may lead to other medical and emotional problems. Let someone know what’s going on and have a heart to heart chat.

Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.