Are you one of the eight billion people on this planet who doesn’t have real friends, has friends or partners you would be better off without or feel lonely no matter who you are with?

When you feel lonely you tend to settle for whatever friends are available as it feels better than being alone. The question is “Do we need each other to be happy?” What do you think would happen if you moved on from your friends or family that are not be serving you or you worked inwardly and became your own best friend?

Solitary Confinement is Torture

Research reveals that the effects of solitary confinement in prisons can be deadly. Prisoners who were in solitary confinement accounted for nearly half of all suicides in the jails.

A 1995 study of the federal prison system found that 63 percent of deaths occurred among inmates locked in “special housing status,” such as solitary or psychiatric seclusion cells.

The prisoners in solitary confinement experienced chronic apathy, lethargy, depression, and despair. They eventually lost the ability to socialise with others and stopped coming out of their cells when given the opportunity.

Why People Feel Lonely

Loneliness is how you perceive your connection with others. It is an emotion that can occur even without isolation from others. If you have only superficial relationships, you run the risk of feeling lonely.

Everybody feels lonely at some point, maybe due to a break-up or change of environment but chronic loneliness can come with negative consequences. Losing connections that you used to have or inability to make new friends can lead to loneliness.

Emotional isolation may cause you to feel lonely. If you have been developing your emotional quotient or growing spiritually, you may reach a point where it becomes challenging to connect with your old friends or companions if you previously bonded by judging or comparing yourself to others.

Affluence may also lead to isolation from people. Loneliness may result when you are afraid of opening up to friends or family due to anxiety or fear of being judged. In this case, you may feel lonely even though you have people all around you because you are emotionally unavailable.

The Effects of Feeling Lonely

Loneliness is an emotion but it can have both psychological and physical effects. Loneliness increases the level of stress hormones in the body which make it difficult for the body to resolve stress and heal.

Chronic loneliness also increases the risk of early death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. With loneliness, the risk of premature death is increased by 30%, worse than obesity.

Depression is a common disease and one of its root cause is loneliness. It causes gradual wear and tear of the self. Depression serves as a mental block to happiness and it increases suicide risk in both young and old.

Our bodies react to loneliness as if it is in a constant state of threat. Thus, more inflammatory genes are produced when you feel lonely. While inflammation helps in defending the body, it becomes a problem when it is uncontrollable because it prevents the body from healing from diseases or trauma.

A 30% increase in risk of heart disease is observed in people who feel lonely. Loneliness can also disrupt sleeping patterns while opening up your body to disease due to reduced immunity. Feeling of isolation and lack of companionship contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Importance of Having Friends

Friends help us learn how to interact with others. They teach us how to forgive, laugh and connect. Since friendship is the basic foundation for our relationships, it helps us understand the process of meeting new people and finding out their unique aspects.

Another benefit of having friends is that they help keep our body and mind strong. Friends help us cope with stress and make better choices. Positive friendship has also been shown to improve brain health.

The presence of solid friendship is a big relief to loneliness. We learn more about ourselves through friends and understand the importance of having a connection with others. We also learn about kindness and how to reach out for help.

Overall, friends add to the quality of our life, through rich conversations and heartfelt support.

What You Can do to Connect with People

To connect with people, you must be genuinely interested in them. Also, you should find common ground and interest through which your initial and subsequent foundation of your friendship can be built on.

For any connection to work, you must care about it. This involves paying attention when you are with someone and being open-minded. You also need to heal from any negative energy, people can sense its presence and shut you off to protect themselves. Social connection is a key factor in well-being and happiness, so keep it alive

Do We Need Each Other?

So the answer is a definite and resounding yes. We need each other to grow and be happy. We also need good people around us, as I have often spoken about how the people around us have a direct correlation on our lives and our energy – good and bad. Just as you are what you eat, you become the average of your friends and support system.

We need each other, as our minds, souls, and bodies operate on emotion. It drives our entire system, and love is the most powerful emotion. Think of the times you have been deliriously in love or have had solid friendships. You become almost invincible, and this gives you the drive and passion for living out your dreams.

Create constructive positive connections

Making good connections and having nurturing relationships is paramount to being happy and growing in life. When you feel down, your friends will pick you up and vice versa. This is one of the reasons I maintain a good apple policy for the workshops I conduct. When you feel supported and safe, then you can heal and grow. I have experienced this fantastic love from many special people I have met along my path, and I know that without them, I would not be sitting here talking to you today.

So if you feel lonely, reach out to people like yourself and make connections. We have a Forensic Healing Facebook Group that is designed for women around the world to uplift, inspire, heal and support each other, especially women who feel alone. You are more than welcome to join.