Mental health Life issue

Loneliness

Loneliness — the distressing gap between the social connection we have and the connection we need — is one of the most significant and underacknowledged public health concerns in the UK. It affects people of all ages and has serious consequences for mental and physical health. Therapy addresses both the internal factors that maintain loneliness and the practical barriers to building genuine connection.

See therapies that may help

What is Loneliness?

Loneliness is subjective — it is not the same as being alone, and a person can feel profoundly lonely in a crowd, in a marriage, or surrounded by colleagues. It concerns the quality and depth of felt connection, not its quantity.

Chronic loneliness is associated with significantly increased risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease and premature death — effects comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It is also self-perpetuating: it creates hypervigilance to social threat and negative interpretations of others' behaviour, making connection harder to achieve.

Signs and symptoms

Loneliness may involve:

A persistent sense of being disconnected, invisible or unknown by others
Feeling that no one truly understands you
Superficial social contact that does not feel meaningful
Sadness or emptiness around social occasions
Social anxiety that prevents engaging with potential connections
Excessive time online as a substitute for real connection
Physical effects: disrupted sleep, fatigue, reduced immunity

How therapy can help

Therapy for loneliness addresses internal barriers and practical connection skills:

CBT — addressing hypervigilance, negative social interpretations and avoidance behaviours that maintain loneliness
Compassion-focused therapy — for loneliness driven by shame or a sense of being fundamentally unworthy of connection
Social anxiety treatment — for loneliness primarily maintained by anxiety preventing engagement with available opportunities
ACT — building values-consistent action towards connection despite fear or discomfort
Group therapy — can itself be a corrective experience of genuine connection within a safe, structured context

Seeking help

Your GP is a good starting point and can refer to social prescribing services that link people to community activities. The Campaign to End Loneliness and Age UK both offer resources and connection programmes. A therapist can address the psychological dimensions while practical community services address the social environment.

Therapies that may help with Loneliness

Therapy	Evidence	Notes
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist	strong	Core use for loneliness.
Counsellor	strong	Core use for loneliness.
Psychotherapist	strong	Core use for loneliness.
Mindfulness Practitioner	strong	Mindfulness for loneliness.
Arts Therapist	moderate	Arts therapy for loneliness.
EMDR Practitioner	moderate	EMDR for loneliness with trauma component.
EFT Practitioner	moderate	EFT for loneliness.
Havening Techniques Practitioner	moderate	Havening for loneliness.
Hypnotherapist	moderate	Used for loneliness via confidence and social anxiety.
Matrix Reimprinting Practitioner	moderate	Matrix reimprinting for loneliness.
NLP Practitioner	moderate	NLP for loneliness.
Regression Therapist	moderate	Regression therapy for loneliness.
Relationship Therapist	moderate	Relationship therapy for loneliness.
Tension and Trauma Practitioner	moderate	TRE for loneliness.
Though Field Therapy Practitioner	moderate	TFT for loneliness.

Frequently asked questions

Is loneliness a mental health condition?

Loneliness is not a diagnosable condition in itself, but is a significant risk factor for depression, anxiety and other mental health difficulties, and is often both cause and consequence. It deserves to be taken seriously as a health concern in its own right.

Why do I feel lonely even around other people?

This is extremely common and reflects that loneliness concerns depth and quality of felt connection. Feeling lonely in company typically reflects surface-level interactions that do not satisfy needs for being truly known; social anxiety that prevents authentic self-disclosure; or a belief that you are fundamentally different or unworthy of genuine connection.

Does social media make loneliness worse?

Passive social media use — scrolling and observing others' lives without genuine interaction — is associated with increased loneliness through social comparison. Active, reciprocal online interaction has less negative impact. Social media as a substitute for real-world connection tends to maintain rather than address loneliness.

What is social prescribing?

Social prescribing is a healthcare approach where GPs connect patients to community resources and activities rather than only clinical treatment — volunteer groups, exercise programmes, arts activities, befriending services and local support groups. Ask your GP about social prescribing in your area.

Is loneliness more common in older people?

Older people are over-represented in loneliness statistics. However, young adults (18–25) also report some of the highest loneliness rates of any age group. Life transitions of all kinds — moving, changing jobs, becoming a parent — can trigger acute loneliness at any age.

Find a therapist for Loneliness

Connect with a qualified therapist who has experience helping people with loneliness.

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