Prerequisites of Loneliness - Essay Example

What Predicts Loneliness Student’s Name: Grade course: Tutor’s Name: Date: Introduction Loneliness is regarded as a severe health concern which leads to various maladaptive effects such as anxiety, depression and in some cases suicide. Loneliness is defined as the state of averseness that is always experienced whenever there is an existence of a discrepancy between interpersonal relations that a person desires to have as compared to those that a person currently perceives to have at the moment. Various people faces different kinds of loneliness in their life, they also have different personal attributes which means that their level of reaction to loneliness will be varied. The essay shall discuss the definition of loneliness, the predictors of loneliness as well as the causes of loneliness in relation to the age, culture, circumstances and personality. Definitions Loneliness is defined as the state of averseness that is always experienced whenever there is an existence of a discrepancy between interpersonal relations that a person desires to have as compared to those that a person currently perceives to have at the moment (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006). Different people tend to respond differently to various kinds of loneliness triggers, for instance a person’s total number of friends. A person with only one friend is not lonelier than a person with a lot of friends, but they are less lonely than that person without any friend (Rouner, 1998). Also the social contact type greatly determines how lonely a person will be, that is a no lonely person will involve him or herself in more interactions with the friends as well as the family members as compared to the lonely person who is more likely to participate in less interactions with friends and family members while having a lot interactions with acquaintances as well as the strangers, this is usually done the lonely person so that they can achieve or get to satisfy their needs of belonging (Lykes & Kemmelmeier, 2014). Therefore, loneliness can be as a state of averseness which comes from a sense of longing for another person or persons and it is often related with the negative feelings for instance hopelessness as well as sadness. Loneliness is considered as a basic element of life and it is experienced by everybody in differing degrees at some points in their life. Loneliness is not confined to the boundaries of race, socioeconomic status, marital status, age, health status or gender. Loneliness therefore is a general experience which is a result of general human desire to belong. Loneliness feelings could either be short lived or persistent. Loneliness is said to manifest itself differently mainly depending on the situation within which a person’s desires are unmet. For instance a teenage may be pleased with his or her relationship with peers while he or she may feel lonely in their association with the family members. The teenagers may feel satisfied or lonely with both of their relationships with the teenagers as well the association with the parents or the family (Rouner, 1998). Since loneliness is regarded as the situation which is always experienced by an individual whenever he or she fails to attain what he or she desires while experiencing a very different feelings or situations as compared to what he or she wants at that very moment. It is therefore considered to be caused by various reasons which vary across various variables as analyzed below: Personality Various studies indicate that people with high self-esteem are less likely to succumb to the social loneliness which is mainly developed when an individual has no colleagues or friends who he or she can interact with. This mainly results to individuals developing or having low self-esteem and this makes them to withdrawal from the social functions which make them to develop loneliness. The emotional loneliness is considered as a more profound and a more genetic motivated which is combined with the expressive factors (Singh & Misra, 2009). An individual who has been experiencing unsteady upbringing or who has been abused sexually when they were young may experience a lot of difficult when trying to get friends as well as interacting with other people in the society hence ending up being a loner. This person may experience feelings of loneliness even when they are in a midst of individuals. Age The social loneliness which is mainly developed when an individual has no colleagues or friends who he or she can interact with mainly affect the children and the adolescents making them to develop or have low self-esteem which makes them to withdrawal from the social functions. The adults are not affected greatly by this kind of loneliness. Unable to fit in a given environment also contributes to loneliness. Some individuals feel like misfits who cannot fit in an environment. In most cases children and the adolescent wants to be like everyone else in the crowd as opposed to being different and be in a position to receive criticism because of this. This desire of wanting to be different makes the children and the adolescents to be unable to fit in the society and becomes lonely (Schinka, van Dulmen, Mata, Bossarte & Swahn, 2013). Being rejected and abused by others. When an individual is rejected by the people around him or her they tend to develop loneliness. Some of the things which make an individual to feel rejected are people making fun of him or her, being deceived to, being abused by being told they are not good enough or being told that they are not wanted and being rejected or abandoned by friends and relatives (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006). Due to these psychological and verbal assaults an individual develop a defense mechanisms so that they can shield themselves from the negative atmosphere. This kind of loneliness is usually experienced by adolescents as well as the children; this is mainly because they face a lot of discrimination from their peers and their family members (Stivers, 2004). Socioeconomic status The social loneliness is mainly affect the individuals depending on the time the loneliness occurs, that is an individual might feel lonely and withdraw from the social functions so as to attend to something. Various studies shows that the students are more likely to experience social loneliness when studying for exam but after the exam is over they are able to go back to their normal lives. Transient or chronic loneliness also contributes to loneliness among the individuals. The transient loneliness mainly takes a very short period for instance when an individual is not feeling well and has to be restricted in the house and when the individual regain his or her health they are allowed to resume their normal duties. While the chronic loneliness is considered a long term ailment for instance when an aged person loses one of their loved one be it a spouse or a close family member, it manly contributes to chronic loneliness (Beckelman, 1994). Change of place which is mainly due to work related reasons which results to changing of cities or countries. Change of place mainly makes the individual to develop feeling of being different from the people around them as well as their area of residence. Especially in case of areas with low population concentration individuals develops loneliness due to inadequate social functions and also lack of adequate individuals to interact with. The children and adolescents are usually affected very much by this kind of loneliness due to inadequate people to interact with as well as less social functions Culture The social loneliness is also caused by culture for instances whereby an individual is supposed to stay away from the society so as to adhere to the regulation from the culture. In case of a loss of a loved one an individual develops loneliness mainly because the individual withdraws from the social situations due to the hurting something which leads to depression and loneliness. Separation also contributes to individuals developing loneliness (Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008). Study shows that some society requires an individual to be confined in a place so as to mourn the loss of the loved one which leads loneliness. Conclusion Loneliness has various predictors as well as causes which vary with age, culture, circumstances as well as personality. Different individuals react differently to various loneliness triggers due to the existence of differences in age, culture, personality as well as circumstances. Loneliness has very fatal consequences on an individual health which could be depression as well as suicide. There is therefore a need to assist a person who is suffering from loneliness and also try and provide or offer assistance early before the situation becomes critical. References Beckelman, L. (1994). Loneliness. New York: Silver Burdett Press. Cacioppo, J. & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. Chicago: W.W. Norton. Ellison, C. (1980). Loneliness, the Search for Intimacy. Washington: Christian Herald Books. Hancock, B. (1986). Loneliness: Symptoms and Social Causes. California: University Press of America. Heinrich, L. & Gullone, E. (2006). The Clinical Significance of Loneliness: A Literature Review. 26(2006). 695-718. Lykes, V. & Kemmelmeier, M. (2014). Journal Of Cross-Cultural Psychology: What Predicts Loneliness? Cultural Difference Between Individualistic And Collective Societies In Europe. 45(3), 468-490. DOI: 10.1177/0022022113509881. Rouner, L. (1998). Loneliness. Michigan: University Of Notre Dame Press. Schinka, K., van Dulmen, M., Mata, A., Bossarte, R., & Swahn, M. (2013). Journal of Adolescence: Psychological Predictors and Outcomes of Loneliness Trajectories from Childhood to Early Adolescence. 36(2013), 1251-1260. Singh, A. & Misra, N. (2009). Industrial Psychology Journal: Loneliness, Depression and Sociability in Old Age. 18(1), 51-55. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.57861. Stivers, R. (2004). Shades of Loneliness: Pathologies of a Technological Society. Illinois: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Read More