How Understanding the Various Types of Loneliness Can Make a Difference

Loneliness comes in all shapes and sizes—just like people.

Even severity and duration differ when it comes to types of loneliness. There’s simply not one umbrella for this drab emotion.

Like most obstacles in life, it’s incredibly helpful to know what you’re dealing with to deliver the appropriate solution. In other words, addressing loneliness doesn’t come in a one-size-fits-all package.

Yet, when you understand what kind of lonely you are, you can find a viable answer. And that’s just for starters.

Understanding the Various Types of Loneliness

Several different types of loneliness exist, but here is a handful of the most common.

No-Partner Lonely

It’s safe to say that most people enjoy having a “special someone” in their lives. After all, having a romantic partner can contribute to your overall sense of happiness and well-being.

So, when you don’t have a partner, there is a certain kind of loneliness that often descends upon you.

This is likely the easiest type to identify. You may feel depressed being around other couples or simply long for an intimate connection. It’s not uncommon to feel this type of loneliness even in a disconnected romance.

Unfamiliar Place Lonely

Moving to a new city or landing a new job can cause another type of loneliness. All the unfamiliar faces can really make you feel out of place.

This is one of the most common types of loneliness. Some describe it as simply the warming up period to a new situation. However, loneliness can be consuming, and it doesn’t always just work itself out.

Social Identity Lonely

When you feel different from everyone else, it’s not uncommon to deal with a unique sense of loneliness. This can make you feel isolated or invalidated. It’s not a comfortable feeling at all.

Even when you lack significant time for yourself, neglecting important aspects of your self-care, you may feel this type of loneliness. Or you may experience it if you simply don’t have a support system of trustworthy friends surrounding you.

Why It Matters to Know the Types of Loneliness

As mentioned at the outset, understanding the types of loneliness matters because it helps you to choose the right solution. But an in-depth understanding benefits in other ways as well.

Helps You Address the Real Issue

If you’re struggling with loneliness stemming from the lack of an intimate connection, moving to a new city or getting a pet shouldn’t be your go-to move. Rather, you should re-establish valued friendships or even dip your toes in the dating pool.

When you can identify your type of lonely, you can then pinpoint ways to make yourself feel better. Providing the wrong solution to the problem typically only intensifies the initial issue.

Gives You Space to Self-Soothe

Sometimes, people feel bad about helping themselves feel better. Yet, when you know that you’re facing an issue, a helpful behavior is to acknowledge and accept that there is a problem.

What this does is validate your own emotions and give you the space to soothe yourself. Identifying which one of the types of loneliness you’re dealing with empowers you to address that particular loneliness.

Allows You to Seek Happiness

Loneliness is a huge hindrance to creating your own happiness. The emotion can make you feel heavy and distract you from your goals and even your values.

By pinpointing your type of loneliness, you allow yourself the chance to seek happiness. It lets you examine the relationships you currently have. Also, it allows you to see what changes and adjustments you need to make so that you can start feeling better.

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If you’d like support in addressing loneliness, please contact me today. Or visit here to learn more about how my approach to individual counseling can help you.

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All images are used for illustrative purposes only. Any person shown is used as a model only.