The adverse effects of loneliness versus the adverse effects of social isolation?

[firemonkey]

It’s said that loneliness has an adverse effect on mental and physical health , but what about social isolation that may or may not involve feelings of loneliness?

I’ve always been quite asocial , and although less socially isolated due to the nearness of my stepfamily still have a smaller than average social network. I get bored with my own company at times rather than feeling particularly lonely

I would say that both can impact on well being. I was certainly functioning less well when more socially isolated even though feelings of loneliness weren’t that strong.

Opinions/thoughts/views welcomed.

[firemonkey]

Social isolation can't be good either - with no one checking in on you it's easy to start neglecting yourself, living in a less than ideal environment such as being untidy, and there might be situations come up where you need practical help but have no one to ask.

That was the situation with me. It's probably more applicable to those of us with comparatively more severe mental health problems , and weaker coping mechanisms.

I was living in a place that could have appeared in a "How clean is your place?' type programme.

I would agree that with social isolation it does come down to coping skills. As my granddaughter said recently I have no common sense(poor practical skills).

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by Midlife Bookworm

...it's easy to start neglecting yourself, living in a less than ideal environment such as being untidy...

Umm, yes, well, I will tidy up soon.

I am alone but not lonely. No doubt it has negative effects on my health but not as much as the avoidance. The avoidance is the focus of my work at the moment.

I do find that I enjoy going out more since working on that and that can only be a good thing.

The fact that I am not lonely may be unhelpful because I lack a strong motivation to get out there. In my early days getting out there was not a happy experience so I need some reason to do it.

I have the toxic mix of avoidance and isolation which developed quite young and that becomes a vicious circle.

As with most things, context is all important. For some people it may be fine and for others it may be fatal.

[Jane Doe]

I really like living alone and I doubt I'd ever want to share my space with anyone else, apart from my mum.

Occasionally I feel pangs of loneliness, but only when I'm either watching something on tv, or reading a book that depicts people supporting each other, having fun and sharing their lives together etc. It seems to bring feelings to light that I don't usually think about. There are times when I'd love to have a face to face conversation with someone new who shares my interests but I don't go out socially so...

One of the worst adverse effects of social isolation is the non mental health related problems you might have to deal with due to a lack of self care. Until around eighteen months ago I hadn't seen a GP for years because (physically) I felt okay and I'd get too stressed out about appointments. Then I went to see a new GP about a letter regarding ESA (which she provided) and she booked me in for blood tests, checked my blood pressure and it was dangerously high at around 197. I had to buy a BP monitor and test myself three times a day for a week before I was diagnosed with severe hypertension. For the past year I've had several scans and tests and I now have three chronic health conditions (one which affects the bones) to contend with.

Seeing doctors regularly has worn me down because they keep finding other things wrong, and one of the medications I'm on has caused me to gain 14lbs! That upset me because I was doing well with my weight loss.

This isn't doing my SA any good at all and I still worry and panic before appointments and the doctors I see are different every time. I'd feel a bit better if I could see the same people. They know about my Aspergers and SA but never comment on that or ask me if there's anything they could do to make me feel more at ease.

I would say to everyone who reads this to see their doctor once a year for a blood test/check up, even if they feel okay because the alternative is far worse than a few moments of anxiety.