The Impact of Social Isolation on Mental Health

Causes of Social Isolation

Social isolation sometimes has a direct and apparent cause, such as divorce or illness. In others cases, it happens gradually and may be a sign of other problems in a person's life.

The reality is that many factors often contribute to social isolation including:

• Depression

• Illness

• Social anxiety

• Stress

• Trauma

Depression

Social isolation is a common symptom of depression. People who are depressed often experience low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, hopelessness, and loss of motivation, all of which can make it difficult to maintain social connections.

Illness

People can also become isolated as a result of chronic health conditions. Such conditions can affect mobility, making engaging in social activities difficult. Factors such as stigma or shame can lead people with health conditions to avoid social situations.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety causes people to experience intense fear associated with social situations. People who have this type of anxiety tend to deal with it by avoiding socializing. This can dramatically limit their ability to maintain relationships and social connections.

Stress

Major life stressors are a common cause of social isolation. Divorce, for example, often leads to the loss of social connections and may cause people to withdraw.

The loss of a spouse, financial problems, job loss, and retirement can also lead to changes in a person's sociability. 

Trauma

It is common for people who have experienced a traumatic event to isolate themselves to cope.

Depending on the nature of the trauma, some people may struggle to trust others and fear being hurt again. Those experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may avoid social activities that trigger memories of the traumatic event.

Coping with the Effects of Social Isolation

Combatting social isolation isn't always easy. However, there are things that you can do to begin rebuilding your connections with other people and begin feeling less isolated. 

Talk to a Professional

If you or someone you know is experiencing social isolation, talking to a doctor or mental health professional can help. They can diagnose medical or mental health conditions contributing to social isolation.

A therapist can help you address emotional issues that lead to social isolation and develop strategies to combat isolation and strengthen your social skills, all of which may help you to feel better about engaging in social activities.

Types of Self-Care Important Health Benefits

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a type of talking therapy that aims to change the way we think (cognition) and (behaviour) in order to help us cope with and manage problems we may face in our lives.

It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings and behaviour are closely linked and influence each other.

If we have unhelpful thoughts and feelings, this can lead to unhelpful behaviour, which can turn into a vicious cycle of further negative thoughts and so on.

CBT aims to help us learn to recognise these unhelpful patterns, and break down and approach problems in a different way to improve how we feel.

Self-love is not a new one, we all know that we should look after our bodies and well-being. But what about love, care and kindness towards our minds and emotions? The benefits of self-love usually result in carrying around less emotional luggage, raising awareness, and having a balanced state of mind.

Start a journal-writing out your thoughts at the end of each day can be incredibly therapeutic. It need not be pages and pages containing the details of everything that happened that day, just a couple of paragraphs about the day and how you felt about it is sufficient. The idea is to get it out of your head and onto the paper. It is usually best not to go back and read what you have written as the point of this exercise is to release it from your mind.

Critical voices When you look in the mirror do you notice all the things you don’t like? Do you wish you were slimmer, more beautiful, more healthy? How would life be different if you were able to look in the mirror with acceptance, joy and love? Every day when you look in the mirror consider repeating a more positive mantra like ‘I look beautiful today and smile. You might feel silly, you might not believe what you are saying, or you might think what is the point? The idea here is to start creating a healthier judgement of ourselves and to feel good. Try doing this for a month and notice how you feel about yourself.