Are you feeling lonely? Know what prolonged isolation does to your brain and body

Always spacing out or feeling disconnected, even in a room full of people? Find out the ramifications loneliness can have on your health.

The feeling of loneliness is multifaceted, extending across various dimensions and going far beyond simply feeling sad. It can feel like experiencing a deep sense of emptiness, followed by a major emotional disconnect of disoriented feeling from everyone around. Emotionally, loneliness resembles a quiet void, with a loss of existential meaning, identity and the feeling of being unseen or unheard. Socially too, it may appear like a lack of support, companionship and difficulty forming connections. Gradually, negative self-talk and overthinking begin to surge, demonstrating how loneliness spills into the cognitive terrain as well.

Chronic loneliness is damaging to your health. (Picture credit: Shutterstock)

But neurologically, how does brain perceive isolation? And since brain and body are interconnected in countless ways, how does loneliness begin influencing the body and physiologically too?

HT Lifestyle reached out to experts to understand loneliness from a neurological perspective, along with the ground reality of how people are trying to combat isolation.

What happens to your brain and body when you are lonely?

Loneliness eventually paves way to depression.

Beyond psychology, loneliness emerges as a major health problem because it affects both neurology and physiology. Dr Vinit Banga, director and HOD of neurology at Fortis Hospital, Faridabad, walked us through the neurological impact of prolonged social isolation, and how brain views loneliness as a threat, followed by the effects spilling over to physical health as well.

So brain sees social isolation as a major survival threat, which makes cortisol rise in body, triggering the stress response system. It is not a simple emotional state of feeling hollow and alone. Chronic loneliness gives way to physical ailments as well. Inflammation is the precursor for many diseases, from cardiovascular diseases to metabolic problems.

The behaviour changes as well. The neurologist explained that the brain's altered perception during prolonged loneliness can make individuals more oversensitive to social interactions, causing them to interpret even neutral situations through a negative lens. Gradually, this may worsen feelings of emptiness and trigger negative emotions such as depression, an inferiority complex and a loss of meaning of purpose.

With loneliness becoming pervasive and posing a big threat to both mental and physical wellbeing, people are looking for newer and more creative ways to build connections and form companionship.

How to combat the loneliness epidemic?

Digital platforms help like-minded people connect.

Loneliness is becoming an epidemic. The Harvard Graduate School of Education based on an interaction with U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy, declared that loneliness is emerging as a ‘public health risk’ for both society and individuals. Several global organizations issued advisories on this alarming problem.

The World Health Organization announced that around 16 % of people worldwide, or one in six, experience loneliness, urging that it be recognised as a public health problem with policies catering to all age groups.

And this disconnect is everywhere. Walk into any room and you may see people sitting together, yet scrolling on their phones instead of speaking to one another. But interestingly. and almost ironically, the same technology that is blamed for fueling isolation can also be leveraged to bring people back to connection. It can help individuals find like-minded companions, build social circles.

For this, we asked Shradha Chaturvedi, CEO and founder of GetCompanion, a digital platform aimed at fighting loneliness, about the trends she is seeing in how people are using technology to find companionship and build connections.

The first trend Shradha informed us was of shift in intent. Users are moving away from meaningless swiping and passive chatting, and are instead seeking genuine companionship that can translate into shared real-life experiences, whether it is having someone to talk to, learn from, play with or simply spend time with.

She illustrated this trend with a real example of one of the user from the platform, "We had a senior user in Gurugram whose children live abroad. He didn’t want a social network, he simply wanted someone to play Ludo with in the evening and have a conversation over tea. Through us, he found a verified companion, and what started as a weekly interaction has now become part of his routine. This is the shift from random connection to reliable companionship.”

Technology essentially acts as an ‘access enabler’ serving as a gateway for people who may not have time, proximity or social environment to form organic connections.

Shraddha elaborated with another set of examples of how organic connections are formed via digital platforms, "We often see young professionals who have moved to cities like Gurgaon or Bangalore for work. They may have colleagues, but no real social circle. One such user found someone to go for evening walks and have casual conversations after work, something simple, yet extremely difficult to build in a new city. In this case, technology didn’t replace connection, it made it possible.”

Lastly, Shradha brought our attention to a clear pattern where users treat the chat only as a starting point on any digital planform, but not as the final destination. Many naturally move from chats to calls and then in-to person interactions, showing that true fulfilment comes from shared physical presence rather than digital conversation alone.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.