Can being lonely cause or worsen multiple physical and mental health problems? I think being lonely can certainly have effects on your physical and mental health. 

To start things off, depression is a mental health problem that loneliness can definitely make worse. According to an article by healthline.com, “Prolonged loneliness can affect mental health, too. It can make any symptoms you’re already dealing with worse, for one. But it can also factor into the development of serious mental health conditions, including depression.” This shows that loneliness can cause mental health problems, such as depression, and make existing problems worse. 

On the other hand, loneliness can also cause physical health problems. These problems can vary from things such as obesity, and even substance abuse. People try to find ways to cope with these feelings, and it puts their health and life at risk. 

According to Jacquelyn Buffo, “In fact, some scientists surmise that the risk of social disconnectedness on your health and well-being is comparable to other risk factors such as obesity, smoking, air pollution, and physical inactivity.” So, loneliness can cause physical problems as well as mental problems. 

There’s plenty of research that shows the different health problems of loneliness. Things like obesity, depression, and substance abuse are just a few of the many things loneliness can cause or worsen. 

In all, loneliness is a very serious problem and can cause multiple different health problems. Do you think loneliness really has these effects on humans’ mental and physical health?