Men unlike women are affected deeply by loneliness which may lead to health issues and in most cases suicide. One out of three men feel lonely and the number keeps rising each day globally. Loneliness in men does not have to be because he doesn’t have friends but because he lacks connection for his desire of a social life. Men in relationships and those with friends also experience loneliness and find the need to isolate themselves and be alone. Most men do not know how to approach fellow men in order to ignite friendships, yet they crave for deeper relationships. Loneliness can cause health disorders such as depression, anxiety and obesity in men of a certain age group.
Reasons Why Most Men Are Lonely
There are a lot of reasons why a man feels lonely and some of them are discussed below.
- They lack opportunities to bond: In the past years, men have lacked safe spaces where they can bond with other men. The lack of bonding opportunities makes men lonely and distressed. In the recent year, groups for men have been formed and are readily available for them to interact. They bond, share life experiences and their social lives, thus helping ease their minds and curbing loneliness.
- Assertiveness: Men find it hard to share their problems because they are believed to be the strongest and toughest. It is becoming hard for vulnerable men to open up because they will be described as weak thus leading to mental illnesses and depression.
- Grieving alone: This may be due to the loss of a loved one or a friend. Grieving a lone can be a draining moment for men who do not a reliable shoulder to lean on. Losing a loved one especially one he was close to can be a tough moment for a man. It takes time to recover from a loss, and therefore men are encouraged to grow their confidence and interact with fellow men.
Men do not like exposing their weaknesses and expressing their feelings. Due to toxic masculinity, men tend to keep their problems to themselves thus causing them to feel lonely. Men live in fear of sharing their sorrows because they are afraid of being judged by the society, hence, they do not put effort in having close friendships.
Signs of loneliness in men
It is very hard to notice you have loneliness signs because they closely relate to those of depression. People show different signs and symptoms thus making it hard to identify a lonely man. The following are some of the signs of loneliness in men.
- They get exhausted when they try to ignite a friendship and social connections
- They have a strong feeling of wanting to isolate themselves when they are around people
- They do not have friends
- Men tend to be turned away when they speak out
- They are unable to have deep conversations with fellow men
- They do not enjoy their favorite activities especially when around people
- They are easily annoyed by minor things
- They begin to use alcohol and other drugs in order to stop feeling lonely
- They begin to have low self-esteem and doubting themselves
How to curb male loneliness
One of the main causes of male loneliness is inability to make new friends. Discussed below are a few tips men can ease their loneliness burden.
- Find friends with a common interest as yours: This is the hardest part when building a new friendship. You can request for meet ups and ask questions about their do and don’ts in order to make your ‘find a friend’ mission easier. The most common hobbies by men include sports, video games, bike racing and hiking. If you do not have hobbies, you can take a chance and try one of your friend’s hobbies.
- Be open to vulnerability: Allowing vulnerability makes your fellow men be open to you making it easy to start discussions on mental health and emotions. Find friends you are comfortable talking with in order to ease your feeling of loneliness. Sharing with friends eases your mind into not thinking you are a weakling because you will realize that there are other people who feel lonely too.
- Join a men’s group: This is the easiest way a man can make friends. There are a lot of men’s groups on social media formed by men with common interests. Identify your hobbies and likes and join the appropriate group. men forums enable you to meet men with interests like yours and make new friends
Conclusion
It is important to note that men experience loneliness, not because they are weaklings but because they are human. To ease their feeling of loneliness, men can reach out and express their feelings without being judges. If you do not feel comfortable talking to friends, you can seek help from a mental health expert of a therapist. The most important thing is identifying ways that work for you in easing loneliness. Finding a man who will open up about their current situation and hardship is extremely hard because they do not want to be judged. A lot of work is required when building new friendships and molding them into your desired friendships.
FAQs
- Why do men isolate themselves?
Most men isolate themselves because they have insecurities that can make aggressive thus, they choose to isolate.
2. Why do men feel lonely when they are in relationships?
A man may feel lonely whilst in a relationship following reasons such as: Being in an abusive relationship, poor communication with the spouse or having trust issues.
3. Which is the most common age that men start feeling lonely?
A recent study has shown that most men feel lonely at the age of 35 years, since at this age they have no regular friends.
4. What should a man do when he feels lonely?
Listen to podcasts that speak against toxic masculinity and making friends is one way of reducing loneliness. During family gatherings, you can take an active role to boost your relationship with family.
5. What causes loneliness in a married man?
Loneliness in marriage can be caused by work and family. However, internal factors such as expectations and vulnerability make it tough to interact with your spouse.