Can Living Alone Put You at a Higher Risk for Developing Mental Disorders?

Living alone can be your personal lifestyle choice that comes with independence and free decision-making. It can make you feel self-sufficient and at peace. However, in certain cases, it can also make you feel lonely and isolated.

You are no longer committed to any responsibilities towards others that lives with you and you have no one to tell you what you’re supposed to do. This can blur boundaries between choosing to do anything and choosing to do nothing at all. When you spend a large amount of time with noone but yourself, it can lead to loneliness and other mental health conditions such as depression, personality disorders, anxiety, social anxiety, or substance abuse. 

Also read: Therapist-Recommended Tools to Start a Conversation on Your Mental Health With Your Family

Numerous research studies also point out that loneliness is linked to various psychiatric conditions such as alcohol abuse, child abuse, personality disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease. It also leads to physical disorders like diabetes, obesity, poor hearing, and cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease. 

Also read: Dealing with Loneliness, Boredom, and Isolation

Before we understand the different mental conditions associated with loneliness, remember that living alone can be a unique experience for different people. There is nothing wrong with you choosing to live alone.

If you have any apprehensions or points to discuss on how you’re feeling living by yourself, talk to our mental health coach over a free 30-minute phone call.

Depression

It is hardly surprising that loneliness can make you feel more unhappy, less satisfied, and more pessimistic in life. You can feel helpless about personal challenges due to the lack of connection at home. This can lead to the development of mood disorders such as depression.

Many research studies have also suggested that living alone is linked to insecure attachment styles. This can make you less trustful of others. In personal relationships, you may behave in unpredictable and ambivalent ways.

Also read: It's Not All In Your Head: The Physical Symptoms of Depression

If left untreated, you can develop low self-esteem, have trouble maintaining relationships, have difficulty problem-solving, and have an unstable self-concept.

Personality Disorder

There has been evidence that living alone can also make you more vulnerable to personality disorders such as borderline personality and schizoid personality disorder. The emotional detachment and deprivation that follows with loneliness are associated with schizoid personality disorder.

Also read: Supporting a Loved One With Borderline Personality Disorder

The detachment can also make you feel a lack of security and a lack of satisfaction at work and in other personal relationships. You have no one to reach out to for support at home. When left unattended, the symptoms of social withdrawal and lack of emotional attachments can slip into the development of psychiatric disorders.

Social Anxiety

The lack of social connection and communication with others can also exacerbate social anxiety as you could get too used to your comfort zone.. You may feel crippled while communicating with your colleagues or strangers. It can get distressing for you to strike up a conversation with someone new or have a difficult conversation to save an important relationship.

Some important social situations such as giving a presentation or hosting a party can prompt a panic attack or dread. Hence, you may choose to avoid them altogether which can stunt your personal and professional growth.

Without constructive interactions and healthy relationships, you can have difficulty affirming your self-worth and purpose in society. You may feel like you’re inherently difficult to live with and internalise your intrusive thoughts of not being worthy of fruitful connections.

Also read: Social Isolation: How Does It Impact Your Substance Use Patterns?

Substance Abuse

Loneliness can also make you turn to alcohol, smoking, and drugs to fill the void caused by a lack of support and personal relationships. A dependable support system can surround you with positivity and hope that can make you less likely to turn to substance abuse.

The temporary relief obtained from drugs or alcohol masks the feeling of loneliness caused by a lack of interpersonal connection. This forms a cycle of avoiding social relationships and choosing to rely on alcohol and drugs to cope with loneliness. As there is really no one at home to look after what is going on, it can get difficult to bring yourself out of this cycle.

Also read: Spotting the Warning Signs of Alcohol Addiction in Yourself or a Loved One

Remember that all these mental conditions are treatable and help is available. It can be difficult to seek help if there is no support system at home and you are being dragged by your thoughts.

If you’re feeling confused about where to start, reach out to our therapists who are here to listen to you and remind you that you don’t have to go through a tough time by yourself. You are deserving of support and healing.