What is the definition of loneliness?
According to google its:
1. sadness because one has no friends or company.
"feelings of depression and loneliness"
2. (of a place) the quality of being unfrequented and remote; isolation.
"the loneliness of the farm"
www.mind.
org.uk/
“the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. But loneliness is not always the same as being alone.”
“Feeling lonely isn't in itself a mental health problem, but the two are strongly linked. Having a mental health problem can increase your chance of feeling lonely.”
“Feeling lonely can also have a negative impact on your mental health, especially if these feelings have lasted a long time. Some research suggests that loneliness is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep problems and increased stress.”
cycle of loneliness
this is a big reason people find themselves unable to overcome their isolation
mind.org is a UK based mental health organisation/charity, working to offer resources to struggling youth.
I found that these resources were far more useful to my research than academic papers researching physiology. Mind.org gave a far more personal and well written out explanation of what loneliness is and how a variety of people would experience it. It also helped to explain the cycle of loneliness and what it does to someone.