At what age do people feel more lonely? It’s not always the elderly

“Lonely old age”, – they say about people over 60 years old. But it turns out that old people are not so susceptible to this unpleasant feeling, it “prefers” young people. Recent studies by American scientists have shown that most often loneliness is faced by guys and girls of 20-22 years old. But there are nuances here.

psychologist, coach. Creator of the cult training “I’m actually smart, but I live like a fool”.

Scientists did not take into account the comfortable and natural seclusion of a person for the sake of rest and reflection. They took into account only the range of emotions and actions that prevent a person from living a full life: a pang of longing, the fear of not finding love and friends, the feeling of uselessness and worthlessness, filling the inner emptiness with promiscuous relationships and sexual contacts. Such loneliness has a negative impact on people, significantly undermining health.

The first peak of loneliness is met by people 20-25 years old

Having conducted an online survey of almost three thousand people aged 20 to 70, scientists found that the first peak of loneliness falls precisely on youth. And it’s no surprise, former students are just starting to enter adulthood.

They are completing their university studies, getting married, trying to find a job, facing constant rejection and working for pennies, starting to build a career and trying to reconcile their ambitions with reality. In fact, loneliness knocks on the door of everyone who is going through the so-called quarter-life crisis, which occurs between 20-25 years of age.

The fact is that the rudiments of wisdom do not come with adulthood. Psychologists have long concluded that the classification of age gradations should be reconsidered. And sociologists distinguish five signs of the beginning of real adulthood – getting a profession, separation from parents, earning money that helps to provide at least for oneself, marriage and the appearance of children.

As a rule, by the age of 20 young people have fulfilled only two points. That is why some scientists have introduced such a concept as “post-adolescents”. And this category is the loneliest people. When we are in temporary seclusion, we realize our “non-ideality”. It is possible and necessary to fight with the inner critic. How to do it, told in the previous material.

Some people react painfully to successful bloggers in social networks, others fall into despondency after reading modern philosophers. But both of them have little faith that they will be able to achieve something in this life, acquiring impostor syndrome.

At the same time, young people do not know with whom to share their problems. It is difficult to talk about such things with parents, from whom you want to separate as soon as possible. But it is not very good to talk about it with friends either. After all, a person who is experiencing this right now is unlikely to be able to help. And only by the age of 30, the condition is gradually equalized, and post-adolescents finally acquire real goals, as well as methods that help to achieve them.

The second peak of loneliness comes at 40-50 years old

It is also associated with the age crisis, but it is mid-life. This time sends many men gray hair in the beard and a devil in the rib. Indeed, often forty-year-old gentlemen leave their wives to girls who are 15-20 years younger, trying to thus at least a little bit to prolong the elusive youth. Middle-aged women acquire a variety of chronic diseases and meet menopause. To survive the midlife crisis will help tips from the psychologist at the link below.

But what pumps you up even more is the death parade. Parents, older companions, some friends begin to pass away. Children have finally grown up and flown the family nest, but it’s very hard to imagine what to do now?

The old rhythm of life with worries and worries for a son or daughter is replaced by a more measured stage, but people are not ready for this. What to occupy themselves with? And how good am I as a parent? Who to give the unspent maternal warmth to? Can’t this organism and body be repaired? And in general, where did these deep wrinkles come from? These and other questions for a long time occupy the heads of those who are experiencing a midlife crisis and the accompanying loneliness.

An interesting fact: by the age of 60 people stop feeling detached from life and society. Along with this round number comes wisdom and understanding of life, as well as the development of empathy and sympathy. In addition, grandchildren do not give bored grandparents, who seem to get a second wind, often replacing parents on weekends.

Strange as it may seem, but it is old age that inscribes us in society. And with retirement a person discovers talents that were previously unnoticed. Someone starts singing in a choir, someone starts dancing salsa, and someone starts building houses out of bottles. It’s just that many people finally grow out of other people’s opinions that imposed certain behaviors. Freedom is exhilarating, so loneliness takes a back seat to creativity.