What can loneliness do to our brains? Neuroscientist sheds light

Chronic loneliness can affect the brain and make people overreact or underreact in social situations. Here’s what you need to know.

lifestyle
By Tapatrisha Das, Delhi
Published on Jul 18, 2024 03:10 pm IST 5 Photos
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Often, we spend time with ourselves and end up enjoying that time. Sometimes, we may feel lonely and crave the company of our loved ones. This is normal. However, chronic loneliness can severely affect us mentally, physically as well as emotionally. Neuroscientist Nas delved deeper and shared insights on what chronic loneliness can do to our brains.(Unsplash)
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We often feel lonely in a crowd – we have an intense feeling of loneliness even when we are surrounded by our loved ones. (Unsplash)
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Being socially active has shown positive results in keeping conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia at bay. While brains affected by chronic loneliness are often a lot like Alzheimer’s. (Unsplash)

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For introverts, loneliness can affect very deeply. While introverts enjoy spending time with themselves or with people they are comfortable with, chronic loneliness can make them feel low. (Unsplash)
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For introverts, chronic loneliness looks like a lack of meaningful connections. This can change the way the brain works – having an impact on areas involved in social and emotional interactions. (Unsplash)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tapatrisha Das

Tapatrisha is Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She covers stories related to health, relationships, and fashion.

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