While we live, we are dying a little bit every day such as we are getting closer to the day when we die one day.
We die when our heart stops beating.
Does loneliness alone increase the chance of a heart attack or heart failure even when eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly? Can you die from loneliness?
We know that thoughts are powerful, and a positive mind has some positive effects on overall health and well-being.
We also know that emotions effect the organs and that effects our health: “bodily maps of emotions”, “organs and emotions chart”.
Common causes of death are severe physical illnesses, accidents, suicide.
The question is: does mental suffering such as in this case loneliness alone, make you more prone to developing or worsening of existing physical illnesses, getting involved in an accident, or committing suicide? Can you die from loneliness as primary factor or contributor or initiator of dying?
A person who is lonely, in many cases has or can develop some form of anxiety too. Now, if such a person has some physical health issues symptoms, does he/she avoid seeking medical help, because of the mental state (loneliness, anxiety) and thinking patterns of such a person? If yes, then a person may die sooner due to not getting medical help for some other health conditions.
In fact, in some countries with certain types of health care insurance (they can afford to do it), often older people who feel lonely actually tend to call an ambulance for feeling not well physically, and visit the hospital as a way of getting company, attention, interaction with other people, to not be alone at home all the time.
Some people enjoy spending time alone, they enjoy that peace, they love being on their own. So being alone doesn’t automatically mean one will feel lonely. Your past experiences and beliefs about various things play a big role.
Someone being in a bad, dysfunctional, toxic relationship may suffer much more than a person who is alone most of the time.
We seek love, understanding, good company. Balance is optimal. And having a balance is not the same for everyone. Some people appreciate spending more time alone than others. Strive for balance as a goal, but don’t be obsessed about it. What is perfect? In general, we have an inner guidance system that we want to move away from pain and move towards pleasure and that drives us to take certain decisions and actions.
There are many people feeling lonely who would like to connect with others, with a kind person, with a fun to be with person, and spend time with another person. This is possible. The simplest, most straightforward and logical approach seems to be, if those who feel lonely would be able to reach out to each other, then they would solve each other’s loneliness, they could provide each other company.
“I am lonely, are you lonely too? Do you want to meet and talk and spend some time together?”
A common way to connect with others is by finding and pursuing hobbies and looking for ways how to do some of those hobbies together with somebody else. It involves an activity and reaching out to others.
A few common places to meet other people are:
- Using an online website such as: https://www.meetup.com/. Meetup is a service used to organize online groups that host in-person events for people with similar interests.
- Volunteering nearby
- Festivals nearby
- Going to a course or seminar and talking to people there
- In the UK: Social Prescribing Jobs or Activities
- Some people may try out and use some free Apps on their smartphones for “Activities with people nearby”, “Meet new people nearby”, “Social activities”
- If you are interested in new experience and travelling, you can find great communities, activities, and new people to visit and live with at https://www.workaway.info/
One can feel happier and more connected to others, if one does kind things for others.
It depends person by person how much loneliness can contribute to dying based on the decisions a person is taking in their life because of some form of suffering, and there are many factors involved not just loneliness itself.
Can you die from loneliness? Loneliness may contribute to dying sooner. But if you keep maintaining a healthy diet, exercise regularly, keep yourself busy with activities, and do not do dangerous activities, do not harm yourself in any way, then even though you suffer from loneliness, you can still live a long life and even longer than a person who has very bad eating habits and doesn’t exercise.
Of course if one suffers, living longer means suffering longer. But life is not made only out of those suffering moments. There are still plenty of other things in between, and unexpected turnarounds, and sudden positive surprises are certainly possible and part of life.
Look at loneliness as a temporary state. It can change anytime, any day. It does not change as easily or fast by waiting somewhere isolated from any outside activities and the outside world.
If you are alone, you may get some support for your mind including the subconscious mind if you try out listening to some self-hypnosis audio to help reprogram the way you think about yourself, others and life and get motivated to do things you haven’t done before or were afraid to do before.