Caregiver Loneliness Is Dangerous – Here’s Why

 

Caregiver loneliness kills and it’s important that you understand what is going on so you can do something about it. Did you know that loneliness is not just painful, it’s dangerous too? Information is power, remember ? This is NOT a good time to put your head in the sand.

 

Loneliness increases the risk of death

A big study found that loneliness increases the risk of death. It does so more than things like poor diet, obesity, alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise. And it is also as harmful as heavy smoking.

So I hope you’re not doing all those things too.

 

Caregiver loneliness is dangerous but it is also normal 

let’s back up a bit. Loneliness is also really normal for caregivers. And loneliness does not mean you are isolated, it is possible and also very common, to feel lonely even when surrounded by other people we can’t connect with. So the first thing I’d like you to identify for yourself is if you are feeling lonely because you are socially isolated or if you are feeling lonely all the while surrounded by people who cannot relate to what you are going through.

 

Please share

If you wish, you can tell me here if you are isolated or if you are suffering from a lack of connection even though you have people around you. Just so that I know a bit more about your specific situation.

 

Caregivers don’t usually share much

Caregivers often keep to themselves and feel like they are all alone but you have no idea how many people there are who are feeling the same. And that’s why I’m doing all these videos and my support community and all that, because I think you all are doing such important work, and I’ve also been there myself. This week, my video is called “Caregiver Loneliness is Dangerous – Here’s Why” and it is right here:  https://youtu.be/ZwP5NVTJPnE

 

Regardez cet article en vidéo ICI

 

So the big thing to get here is that it is normal to feel lonely, caregiving puts a lot of pressure on already full lives and it is also very common that those around us, while trying to be helpful, make us feel isolated.

 

Caregiver loneliness is dangerous AND real

There is so much positivity dikat these days that everyone has something to say about thinking positive and looking at the glass half full and all that. I say there’s a time for everything. And the first step is to acknowledge what you are feeling.

If you are still listening, you must be feeling lonely. And I invite you to dare that feeling. A feeling that is addressed tends to dissipate but a feeling we resist keeps coming back so just exhale and feel the feeling of loneliness and know that I am here for you. 

 

Why is loneliness dangerous?

Now that we’ve acknowledged the feeling let’s get back to the danger. One meta-study including more than 2 million participants found that people who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of dying early from any cause compared with those who weren’t socially isolated. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die early than those who did not.

This is not specifically about caregivers. It’s just that loneliness and social isolation are more common among caregivers.

And that’s exactly why I want to give you some of the best tips to combat caregiver loneliness. So come back next week to have those tips and try them right away. 

 

 

Sonia Weyers
Gestalt-therapist – Supporting Caregivers Emotionally
Dare The Freedom To Be Yourself

 

PS: For more tips for caregivers of loved ones with a loss of autonomy you can check out my blog , from 2024, my YouTube Videos or my book “The Sundown of Life”.