LONELINESS

LONELINESS
Feeling of being isolated from
desired relationship

Types of Loneliness
Social Loneliness- less interaction
than desired

Emotional loneliness- less intimae

relationship than desired
Lack of intimacy leads to loneliness

Things Associated with

Loneliness

Health problems
Feeling of worthlessness
Feeling you just cant go on
Constant worry and anxiety
Irrational fears
Trouble concentrating
Feeling irritable and angry
Feelings of guilt
Crying spells

Things Associated with

Loneliness

Feeling tired
Insomnia
Trouble breathing
Poor appetite
Headaches
Digestive problems
Pains in the heart
Heart disease

Things Associated with

Loneliness

Loss of interest in sex

Suffering from serious disease
Disabling accidents
Being overweight
Feeling fat

Sources of Loneliness
Temporary problems
Break up with a relationship

Failure of integration
Dont feel like a meaningful or significant part of a
group
Integration is a problem

Childhood characteristics and experiences

Low self esteem
Death of a parent
No warm or supportive parents
Not enough time with parents as a child

Question
How lonely are you?

UCLA LONELINESS
ASSESSMENT

UCLA SCALE

SCORING

I am lonely
When I am alone ___
When I am without transportation for a
long period of time___
When finances are not available to
participate in activities____

 When I dont feel appreciated by

others ____
When I cant seem to develop
friendships____
When I feel left out or rejected by
others____
When I am thingking about the
past____
When I cant do things with others
_____

Scoring
Add number of Almost always
reponses X 4
Add number of Often responses X 3
Add number of Sometimes X 2
Add number of Rarely X 1
Add number of Never X 0
Loneliness score total divided by 10

Your Response
The higher the score, the lonelier you
are
A score of 4 means you are almost
lonely
A score of 3 means you are oftne lonely
A score of 2 means you are sometimes
lonely
A score of 1 or 0 means that you are
rarely or never lonely or that perhaps
not completely honest with yourself.

Important points
We have a need to be social
Problems are related to loneliness

Characteristics of Lonely
People

Lack of social skills

Lack of interest in other people
Lack of empathy
Fear of being rejected
Failure to disclose
Cynicism about human nature
Demanding too much too soon
Pessimism about life in general

How to deal with loneliness

Challenge your feelings of pressimism
Challenge your cynicism about life
Challenge idea that failure in social
relationships is awful and thus a valid
reason for giving up
Be assertive
Become a good listener
Give people a chance to know you
Fight fair

END