What Is Internal Loneliness And Why Does It Occur?
- Internal loneliness may be brought on due to a person’s own mental distress, overwhelming feelings of worthlessness or guilt, feeling out of control in situations, or having inadequate coping strategies.
- Internal loneliness causes a person to feel alone regardless of the situation they’re in, making it difficult to create or sustain meaningful connections with other people.
Struggling with loneliness or having a mental health crisis?
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255); Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 before the number or connect via online chat
This deeply personal type of loneliness originates from within and one doesn’t need to be physically alone in order to feel lonely.
This type of loneliness may be rooted in one’s personality and their inability to make meaningful connections with other people, but it can also be a reflection of their own internal struggle with low self-worth or low self-esteem.
Those who contend with having low self-esteem or low self-worth tend to experience more loneliness than their peers who do not have such personal conflicts.
When a person doesn’t like themselves or has low self-confidence, they may find it difficult to believe that others will enjoy being in their company.
This may cause a person to minimize the time they spend with other people altogether, or to experience feelings of loneliness when they do spend time around other people.
Internal loneliness can be rooted in a person’s childhood experience if they felt unloved, unwanted, or uncared for in the past, particularly if that treatment has left a lasting impact on their self-esteem and self-confidence.
When feelings of loneliness persist over a long period of time, otherwise known as chronic loneliness, a person is unable to quell their loneliness, which can have a negative impact on their overall health.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of The Roots Of Loneliness Project, the first-of-its-kind resource that comprehensively explores the phenomenon of loneliness and over 100 types we might experience during our lives.
Find Help Now
If you’re struggling with internal loneliness, we’ve put together resources to meet you wherever you are — whether you want someone to talk to right now, or are looking for longer-term ways to help ease your loneliness.
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255); Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 before the number or connect via online chat
- Resources & Emotional Support For Loneliness
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