Loneliness as a Trigger for Addiction: What You Need to Know

What is loneliness?

The feeling of loneliness can come from a variety of causes, but is generally described as feeling disconnected or dissatisfied with one’s social connections. It’s also common to feel lonely while surrounded by many people, perhaps even more so than when one is truly alone. This happens when a person yearns for meaningful connections but feels unable to form them. Loneliness is often related to feeling socially isolated.

What Loneliness Feels Like:

• Feeling isolated even when around others
• Withdrawing from social activities and relationships
• Persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Increased anxiety
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Loss of interest in hobbies or activities once enjoyed
• Feeling misunderstood or disconnected from others
• Physical symptoms like fatigue or aches with no clear cause
• Negative self-talk and low self-esteem

How Does Isolation Lead to Addiction?

One of the main reasons why loneliness may lead to addiction is that it can cause people to stay in their homes, which in turn can cause social isolation. Loneliness can also cause people to seek out addictive substances and activities.

Those who are lonely often turn to substances as a way to cope with the negative emotions they experience as a result of feeling lonely. They may also use drugs as a way to escape from the negative feelings they have about themselves. Many people who are lonely also find themselves regularly engaging in activities that can lead to addiction.

Some of the most common effects of loneliness are-

• Increases negative emotions, making substances an easy option to cope with depressive feelings
• Lack of social support makes it difficult to turn to someone for social support, increasing their vulnerability to addiction
• Drugs provide a temporary escape from feelings of emptiness and pain caused by isolation.
• Prolonged isolation can change brain function, which heightens cravings and reinforces addictive behaviors
• It reduces the accountability and positive influence of people who might support the person
• Those isolated during recovery are more prone to relapse due to a lack of support and increased stress
• It creates a cycle where addiction further drives withdrawal from social life, deepening the problem.

How Addiction Can Damage Relationships?

Addiction can also cause people to be more likely to engage in negative interactions and communication styles that can damage the relationships they are in. People who are addicted to substances may be more hostile towards others and more likely to get into arguments. Similarly, people who are lonely and addicted to certain activities or thoughts may use these things to avoid talking to others and therefore be less likely to form meaningful relationships.

How Loneliness Affects Mental Health and Increases Addiction Risks

The feeling of isolation and lack of social connection can create emotional pain that many individuals try to numb with substances. Here's how loneliness influences mental health and addiction:

Increased Risk of Mental Health Disorders:

Loneliness is closely linked to mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The lack of emotional support exacerbates these conditions, leading individuals to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

Heightened Cravings and Risk of Relapse:

Loneliness increases cravings for substances, as individuals often turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with negative emotions. In recovery, loneliness can lead to relapse, as it weakens an individual’s resolve and emotional resilience.

Feelings of Shame and Guilt:

Isolation can create feelings of shame about addiction, which, in turn, makes individuals withdraw even further. This cycle of shame, guilt, and isolation deepens addiction, making it harder to break free.

Poor Coping Mechanisms:

When isolated, individuals are more likely to rely on unhealthy coping strategies like substance abuse. Without access to healthy social networks or support systems, it’s harder to learn new, healthier coping mechanisms.

Emotional Dysregulation:

Loneliness can impair emotional regulation, leading to heightened stress, irritability, and poor decision-making. These emotional struggles often push individuals towards substance abuse as a way to escape difficult feelings.

Difficulty Socializing:

Loneliness can lead to social withdrawal and a lack of social interaction, which causes deterioration in social skills. As individuals struggle with social connection, they may find it harder to ask for help, leading to further isolation and addiction severity.

Slows Down Recovery Progress:

For individuals in recovery, loneliness can undermine progress by increasing emotional vulnerability and creating stress that encourages relapse. A lack of social connection weakens their sense of belonging and motivation for sobriety.

Major Depression and Addiction

Another connection between loneliness and addiction is that people who are depressed are more likely to develop an addiction. In fact, people who suffer from both depression and loneliness are even more likely to become addicted.

Loneliness can cause major depression in a number of ways. For example, it can cause people to ruminate on their feelings of loneliness, which can cause feelings of hopelessness and sadness. It can also make people withdraw from social interactions, which can lead to feelings of loneliness and cause them to have fewer positive things in their lives. Loneliness and major depression also cause people to turn to drugs and alcohol.

When a person is feeling lonely, their brain releases chemicals that make them feel sad and unimportant. This leads to a negative emotional state that motivates them to do something to make themselves feel better. Drugs and alcohol both release feel-good chemicals in the brain that temporarily resolve negative emotions, but over the long term worsen them.

Why is having a support system important for recovery?

One way to overcome the feelings of loneliness and addiction is to build new relationships with people who can support and care for you. Once you start to build new relationships, you will have people in your life who can help you stay on the right path. Loneliness can make you feel like you want to isolate yourself, but you should actively work to connect with others. Some ways to do this include joining a club or group, volunteering your time, and reaching out to people you know.

Studies show that people who have stronger social support networks are more likely to get help for their addictions and more likely to stay sober. You may not feel like you have any friends who understand your situation. Or you may feel like you have lost the people who cared about you before you got sober. It is important to actively work to build new positive relationships in your life to combat these feelings of loneliness.

Feeling Alone in Your Struggle? Let’s Take the First Step Together

Sober living homes, such as Bridges Sober Apartments, provide people who are going through recovery from addiction with a unique living environment that fosters healthy relationships and promotes a sense of community.

You will have access to people who understand what you are going through, people who are actively working towards their goals, and people who can support you when you feel like you are struggling to move forward in your recovery.

These supportive relationships can help you deal with the loneliness that can come with being in recovery. They can help you feel connected to something and to people again. Start your journey of healing. Contact us today to find out more.