Quick answer: Loneliness is the painful feeling that your connection with others is less than you need. About 1 in 6 people worldwide feel it, so it is common and not a personal failing. Small, steady steps, such as talking, joining a group and limiting comparison, help, and counselling can support you if it lingers.
What is loneliness, and how common is it?
Loneliness is a feeling. It shows up when the relationships you have do not match the closeness you want. That is why it can happen to a student in a hostel, a new parent at home, a manager with a full calendar or an older person whose children have moved away.
The numbers show how widespread it is. The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection reported in June 2025 that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness. The same release links loneliness to an estimated 100 deaths every hour, which is more than 871,000 deaths a year.
These figures are a reason to take loneliness seriously, not a reason to feel alarmed about your own life. Connection can be rebuilt, and most people can begin with very ordinary steps.
It is easy to assume loneliness belongs to older age. The WHO figures say otherwise. Young people and people in lower-income countries report it most often.
| Group | Share reporting loneliness (WHO, 2025) |
|---|---|
| People aged 13 to 29 | 17 to 21%, with the highest rates among teenagers |
| People in low-income countries | About 24% |
| People in high-income countries | About 11% |
If you are a teenager or young adult and feel this way, you are far from the only one. Our page on teen and young adult counselling explains how sessions work for ages 13 to 25.
Why does loneliness happen?
There is rarely one cause. The usual triggers are life changes: moving to a new city, starting a job or college, a breakup, a bereavement, becoming a parent, retiring or an illness that keeps you at home. Shyness, anxiety and low mood can also make reaching out feel harder, which makes the gap grow.
Modern routines play a part too. Work from home, long commutes and time spent on phones can reduce the small daily contacts that quietly keep us connected. The WHO release lists simple everyday steps for this, including putting phones away during conversations, greeting neighbours and joining a local group.
What does loneliness do to health?
The WHO release says loneliness and isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and premature death. It also notes that social connection can protect health across the lifespan.
A widely cited review in Perspectives on Psychological Science (2015) pooled many studies and found a higher likelihood of early death after controlling for other factors: 29% for social isolation, 26% for loneliness and 32% for living alone. These are statistical links across large groups. They do not predict what will happen to any one person, and they show why connection deserves attention.
What helps with loneliness?
The NHS page on feeling lonely offers practical ideas. You do not need to do all of them.
- Talk about your feelings with a friend, a relative, a healthcare professional or a counsellor.
- Join a group or class built around something you enjoy. You can go along and just watch first.
- Spend time where other people are, such as a park, a cinema or a café.
- Volunteer with a local organisation, or look for peer support.
- Do something you enjoy on your own, such as a walk, exercise or a podcast.
The NHS also lists things to avoid: trying to do everything at once, comparing yourself with others, telling yourself you are alone, and using alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to cope, because these can worsen mental health. Set small targets instead. One message sent today is better than a plan you never start.
When should you speak to a counsellor?
Consider support if loneliness has lasted weeks, if it comes with low mood, constant worry or poor sleep, or if you have tried to reach out and it has not helped. The NHS advises seeing a doctor when low mood has lasted more than 2 weeks.
In counselling, you can look at the thoughts that keep you from reaching out, practise conversations and plan realistic steps. At Manas, sessions are 60 minutes and can be held online anywhere in India or in person in Bhopal. Counselling supports your wellbeing. It is not a diagnosis or a guaranteed outcome.
If you ever feel hopeless or at risk of harming yourself, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away.
Frequently asked questions
No. The NHS says many people feel lonely at some point. Loneliness is a signal that the connection you have is not the connection you want. It is common, it is not a character flaw, and it can change with small steps and support.
Yes. Loneliness is about how connected you feel, not only about how many people are around. You can be in a full house, a busy office or a large family and still feel unseen. Naming that gap is often the first step.
The NHS advises seeing a doctor if low mood has lasted more than 2 weeks or if self-help is not working. You do not need to wait for a crisis. A counsellor can help you sooner, and booking a first session is a reasonable early step.
It can do either. The NHS cautions against comparing yourself with others, because social media usually shows only what people choose to share. Using it to arrange a real call or meeting can help, while scrolling alone and comparing tends not to.
Start smaller. The NHS suggests you can go along to a group or class and just watch first. A walk in a park, a café visit or one short message to an old friend counts. Counselling can also help you practise the steps in a safe space.
Please do not wait. Call 112, India’s emergency number, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department, and ask someone you trust to stay with you. Counselling is not an emergency service, so urgent danger always needs emergency care first.
Take the next small step
You do not have to work this out alone. Read about individual counselling at Manas Center to see what a first conversation looks like, or go straight to booking a session when you are ready.
Sources
- WHO: Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death (30 June 2025)
- WHO Commission on Social Connection
- NHS: Feeling lonely
- PubMed: Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality, a meta-analytic review (2015)
Plain-language guides on mental wellbeing, based on published research. Counselling at Manas Center is led by Dr. Priya Dubey Sharma, Founder & Consulting Psychologist.
