How Loneliness Fuels Addiction

In some cases, it is just not possible to get out to a meeting, and for many people in addiction recovery, 12-step or other group meetings are vital to their continued sobriety. One reason for this is that addiction leads to a loss of control, which can be terrifying for the addict. They may feel like they are losing their grip on reality and that nobody could possibly understand what they are going through. This feeling of isolation can be so strong that it leads them to believe that they are better off alone. You are bound to meet new people who share your interests — and maybe feel good about contributing to your community.

Although there was no difference between the scores of men and women, the mean scores of romantic and emotional dimensions were higher in non-substance dependent women. The last thing to remember is that there are healthy ways to cope with loneliness that don’t involve drugs or alcohol. If you and your loved ones can keep that in perspective, you’ll be a greater distance away from the threat of addiction. loneliness in recovery When people come to this point, they may be at risk of becoming even more unwell due to their substance abuse. Not only will they become more susceptible to health conditions like kidney and liver problems or brain damage; they may also be increasingly vulnerable to death by suicide. Thus, it becomes all the more necessary to help them envision a future where they are healthy and emotionally fulfilled.

How Do You Improve Your Self-Awareness in Addiction Recovery?

Loneliness can be debilitating, and having no one to confide in or lean on during difficult times can lead to feelings of despair and hopelessness. Additionally, addiction often causes changes in a person’s behavior, such as secrecy or lying. Neither of which are conducive to forming and maintaining healthy relationships.

Some people may even make themselves available if you feel like you need someone to talk to. Going to meetings regularly also gives structure to your day so that if you do feel lonely, you have a definite idea of when that might end. Keep in mind, especially if you’re relatively new, that engagement is key. While it might help just to be around other people, you still might feel lonely if you just sneak into a meeting and sit in the back.

The Sad Connection Between Addiction and Isolation

By seeking treatment for addiction and reconnecting with their loved ones, people who are struggling with addiction can begin to rebuild their lives and heal their relationships. These effects, combined with the already adverse physical and emotional effects of addiction put the health of an addict at increased risk. An addiction treatment program can help an individual to reconnect to themselves and their loved ones while in recovery. A strong support system can reduce the risk of depression, self-harm, and help individuals recover from addiction.

• In the U.S., 35.7 million adults live alone, making up 28 percent of the nation’s households.
• Understanding why addiction and isolation go hand in hand is crucial when helping a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse or a substance use disorder.
• Loneliness can exacerbate either condition if they are not treated as soon as possible.
• We understand the importance of addressing underlying issues like loneliness in our individualized treatment programs.
• Loneliness is a serious epidemic that is overshadowed in the modern world.
• Turning to the “comfort” of alcohol or drugs becomes a way of coping with feeling alone, unloved, rejected, and confused – it’s a way to numb that pain.

Sense of loneliness could make problems in social interaction and decrease the self-protective behavior potentials as a social threatening factor (6). It is believed that loneliness is a pervasive and dysphoric experience, which is the outcome of the expectation of individual and his or her current status. Feeling of loneliness has a direct relationship with the emotional domain and individual cognitive function and causes lack of adaptation in cognition, experience, and social expectations (7). There were statistically significant difference between the scores of all four emotional, social, familial, and romantic dimensions of loneliness in substance dependent individuals.

How Do You Cope with Loneliness in Addiction Recovery?

In other cases, you may worry about the social stigma surrounding your condition. Popular media often portrays people with mental illness as unsympathetic characters, a danger to themselves or others because of a chemical imbalance in their brain — and the fact that it moves the plot forward. Whether you consider yourself a social butterfly or a wallflower, all humans are social beings. There’s hardly a moment in your life when you aren’t interacting with someone else or benefiting from their activities. It’s not surprising, then, that our happiness connects to our relationship with others. Accept that feelings of loneliness are normal, and remember that things will get better as you continue your recovery.

• Additionally, for families affected by addiction and isolation, we offer family education and support services.
• When you’re an adult, you’re around other people at work–sometimes.
• Dykstra (8), and Ditommaso et al. (4) reported the prevalence rate about 8% to 10% and the other studies showed that 15% to 30% of people experience loneliness continuously.
• In the Rooms is a free resource that offers 130 online meetings every week for people in recovery from addiction and related issues.
• Not only will they become more susceptible to health conditions like kidney and liver problems or brain damage; they may also be increasingly vulnerable to death by suicide.

“If somebody discloses to their friends or family, or a GP, that they feel lonely a lot of the time, that could be a warning sign that they are struggling in other areas of life,” said Dr. Timothy Matthews. Matthews co-authored a study out of King’s College London about loneliness as a potential marker for other problems. It is an inarguable fact that loneliness, social isolation, and lack of connectedness are a reality in the post-modern, technology- driven, industrialized, 21st century world. Feeling of loneliness is a psychologically destructive and terrifying experience (3) that makes severe psychological and physical problems (4, 5). In social interaction, satisfaction is very important and critical for health.

Signs of Cocaine Addiction

A Harvard study mentions “25% to 60% of older Americans suffer from loneliness. Being alone and being lonely are characteristically different with varying effects on our mind, body, and emotions. Furthermore, being alone can be seen as healthy as people can find being alone as way to disconnect from a stressful life.

Find a way to fight loneliness as you work to reconnect with the world. Don’t just talk to someone, talk to someone about your feelings of loneliness specifically. A quick casual chat when you are feeling lonely can be great, but to really help deal with loneliness you need to talk about it. While some have friends or family they can trust to understand their needs, many recovering addicts do not. A mental health professional or addiction counselor will help you identify the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are contributing to your loneliness and help you overcome them. In summary, social and emotional feeling of loneliness as a high risk factor may cause initiation of drug abuse and its maintenance, therefore it is suggested to consider this critical variable in prevention and treatment of addiction.

In turn, loneliness increases, and other negative behaviors flourish, causing you to sink deeper into addiction. The best way to beat loneliness is obviously to have regular social connections. For people in recovery, that often means attending regular 1Step or other mutual-aid meetings. This is a time to connect to other sober people and it may also be a good time to discuss your feelings of loneliness. Second, when you’re starting recovery, it’s a good idea to distance yourself from friends and acquaintances who use drugs and alcohol.