preview

Definition Essay On Loneliness

Decent Essays

Loneliness As people get older, their social circles begin to shrink. Their worlds become smaller. When they feel the impossibility of establishing contact with others, they know the thing they fear strongly comes. It is loneliness. So, what exactly is loneliness? A narrow definition suggests that it is an unpleasant feeling when being alone. However, anyone who had experienced loneliness knows that it doesn’t necessarily mean being alone. Among older adults, loneliness is both a sad feeling caused by a lack of communication and a danger affecting both physical and mental health. Loneliness doesn’t necessarily mean being alone. People connect and confuse the two words “alone” and “lonely” all the time. The definition of alone is “having no one else present.” It is a state of being in which a person is by himself, and …show more content…

On the physical side, loneliness can cause seniors to engage in unhealthy behaviors. For example, some seniors turn to alcohol to escape the feeling of loneliness or to help ease the pain of grief. Some feel empty, and excess food becomes the way to fill that emptiness. Others spend more time indoors and avoid physical activities. This lack of exercise can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other issues. On the mental side, loneliness can have major effects as well. For example, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, older adults who suffer from loneliness have a 64% greater risk of dementia. Dementia, a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities, is one of the leading causes of death for older people. Another effect of loneliness is depression, a serious mood disorder with suicide as a possible outcome. Lonely seniors who have been sad for a long time are at a high risk of depression. As can be seen, feeling loneliness hurts, and it hurts even more when people don’t have anyone to share it

Get Access