Loneliness: a state of mind or the absence of people nearby? Psychologist's viewtranslated
We are accustomed to using the word “loneliness” to describe many objective statuses and subjective experiences: from a temporary desire to be alone to a state of mind, from marital status to a nagging feeling in the middle of a crowd or within a family...
What is loneliness really? What should you do if it gnaws at you and is it normal if it doesn’t, even if you’re really alone? We talked about all this with psychologist Konstantin Olkhov.
Konstantin Olkhovoy
psychotherapist
What is loneliness from a psychological point of view?
Loneliness is an experience in which a person perceives a discrepancy between the desired and actual quality of his social connections. This is not the fact of the absence of people nearby, but rather a signal from the brain about a social threat, which is perceived as painful as physical pain. That is, it is not the situation itself, but the brain’s assessment of the situation. A person can be alone on a desert island and not feel lonely. And vice versa - among people and in family, you can feel deeply lonely if the brain evaluates these connections as superficial or false.
frimufilms/Magnific
Why is this happening? On the one hand, it is difficult for people to stand with each other, to do...
