As someone who studies well-being and mental health, one of the main contributors of depression in younger adults is loneliness. The irony is that students are surrounded by hundreds of people on campus, but loneliness doesn't necessarily mean physical isolation but also a state of mind. Hopefully future programs can be implemented to assuage this growing trend.
SaturnFulmination: "If I must be lonely, I think I'd rather be alone" ... from a Stabbing Westward song. I think about the general topic of loneliness often. It's that state of mind as you say. Feeling misunderstood, finding it difficult to relate to other people. The thing I wonder is if our (perhaps subconscious) tendency to project the image we'd like people to have of us rather than directly lay out every fear, flaw, shame, insecurity, confidence, narcissism, desire, need, etc, might be the root of the issue. I remember having long discussions with an old friend about how how badly he craved for someone to truly understand him, but at the same time would fight tooth and nail to avoid communicating directly about his deepest emotions. I'd ask him how he expects to be understood when he isn't allowing anyone to see him 100% for who he really is. I did understand that struggle because I think we all face it in our own ways. To be accepted by societal standards we have to hold back on expressing the parts of our nature that don't line up with the status quo. So it leaves us in this place of knowing that everyone is putting on some kind of mask before walking out their door in the morning, causing us to distrust others before we even meet them. We might not be aware that the subconscious distrust drives the loneliness which really stems from a place of fearing/believing there isn't anyone we can truly be accepted as ourselves with. Wow that turned into a long ramble lol Just things I wonder about....Little gift from my insomnia, hope you enjoyed! haha
not_this_again in reply to SaturnFulmination: I agree Jen. It's so true what you say about people putting on a mask in society-we never really know the genuine side of people in our daily interactions unless we develop a closer connection with them overtime (even then most people aren't comfortable sharing their true self). Thankfully I have you to share my flaws and bizarre desires with right?
not_this_again in reply to Wynnfrith: Thanks for sharing! I recall reading an article that having more connections when one is chronically ill can postpone death relative to those who have no visitors. It's interesting how something subjective can influence people at the physiological level (immune system). But it also make sense, considering social connections likely increase well-being or pleasurable feelings which produce various endorphins or antibodies. It's unfortunate too that contrary to what individuals may expect, the link between mortality and loneliness is more prominent in younger adults than older adults. It's not surprising that urbanization and technology play a role-while there are benefits to technological interactions, the lack of face-to-face intimate interactions seems to be pivotal in the rise of loneliness. Technology appears to have this double-edged effect; bringing us closer to those who are distant yet bringing us further apart from those who are closer.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/university-loneliness-back-to-school-1.3753653
As someone who studies well-being and mental health, one of the main contributors of depression in younger adults is loneliness. The irony is that students are surrounded by hundreds of people on campus, but loneliness doesn't necessarily mean physical isolation but also a state of mind. Hopefully future programs can be implemented to assuage this growing trend.
I think about the general topic of loneliness often. It's that state of mind as you say. Feeling misunderstood, finding it difficult to relate to other people. The thing I wonder is if our (perhaps subconscious) tendency to project the image we'd like people to have of us rather than directly lay out every fear, flaw, shame, insecurity, confidence, narcissism, desire, need, etc, might be the root of the issue. I remember having long discussions with an old friend about how how badly he craved for someone to truly understand him, but at the same time would fight tooth and nail to avoid communicating directly about his deepest emotions. I'd ask him how he expects to be understood when he isn't allowing anyone to see him 100% for who he really is.
I did understand that struggle because I think we all face it in our own ways. To be accepted by societal standards we have to hold back on expressing the parts of our nature that don't line up with the status quo. So it leaves us in this place of knowing that everyone is putting on some kind of mask before walking out their door in the morning, causing us to distrust others before we even meet them. We might not be aware that the subconscious distrust drives the loneliness which really stems from a place of fearing/believing there isn't anyone we can truly be accepted as ourselves with.
Wow that turned into a long ramble lol Just things I wonder about....Little gift from my insomnia, hope you enjoyed! haha
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-leeat-granek/loneliness-can-kill-liter_b_7031340.html
Thankfully I have you to share my flaws and bizarre desires with right?
I recall reading an article that having more connections when one is chronically ill can postpone death relative to those who have no visitors. It's interesting how something subjective can influence people at the physiological level (immune system). But it also make sense, considering social connections likely increase well-being or pleasurable feelings which produce various endorphins or antibodies.
It's unfortunate too that contrary to what individuals may expect, the link between mortality and loneliness is more prominent in younger adults than older adults.
It's not surprising that urbanization and technology play a role-while there are benefits to technological interactions, the lack of face-to-face intimate interactions seems to be pivotal in the rise of loneliness. Technology appears to have this double-edged effect; bringing us closer to those who are distant yet bringing us further apart from those who are closer.