The epidemic of loneliness: Psychologists Say That They Are Not Just the Old Ones Who Suffer

Recently, I began working with a young woman who says that there are days when she feels like the most lonely person in the world.

Becky is 23 and works at marketing; she spends long hours in an office, surrounded by people of the same age and background for herself. Yet, she says that all are so busy that there is no time to develop important friendships among her colleagues.

Ever since she graduated from college, she lives with her parents, but she spends the evening alone in her room, social media offering information for the company.

If you look at Becky's Facebook account, you'll see she has a lot of friends, actually. But like most of her age group, who rely on friendships formed in cyberspace, she rarely belongs to friends face - to - face.

I think I prefer this way,” she accepts, in despair. My life is so deaf, I can't compete. Even my parents have a better social life than me and they are 50 years old. They go out and have friends all the time while I'm locked in my” room.

Surprisingly, this makes Becky feel even worse, giving another blow to the already fragile faith. It is so weak that the thought of dating a group of friends or accepting an invitation to a party fills her with anxiety that's what I'm treating her about.

Becky concludes with regret: “I'm like an old, lonely woman“, as if loneliness were the last thing anyone has to admit.

And yet, actually, Becky's age marks her as a top candidate for loneliness, much more, than her grandmother's generation.

A recent study by the National Statistics Office has found that today nearly one in ten people under the age of 24 say they are often or always lonely that is three times the figure for over 65.

Loneliness is an overwhelming emotional response that makes you feel isolated from others and that can cause deep distress and anxiety. It is also a very personal sense of suffering, more about the deep sense of discontent with social interactions than just physically.