The Negative Effects Of Too Much Alone Time

Part of our DNA makes us social beings. People need others to survive both physically and mentally. It does not mean that we take any company, but it does mean that people are important to us. Researchers have even shown that too much alone time can have negative effects.

Many studies have established that too much time alone can have far-reaching effects on our brain. We have a natural tendency to be around people and spend time with others. But we live in an era where not everything is always so easy. In fact, large crowds are one of the things that can make many people want to live single lives.

Loneliness is a growing worldwide epidemic. Many people nowadays choose to live alone. Neighboring relations in large cities have become tense and exclusive. Businesses sell human interacting per hour. Deep down, we know that it is not good to spend too much time alone. But we do not always know how to break the circle.

A study conducted at the Institute of Technology in California (Caltech) was published in the journal Cell and showed that  too much alone time has significant effects on your behavior. They experimented on rats and showed that loneliness actually leads to an accumulation of chemical substances in the brain. It made the rats more and more scared and aggressive.

The researchers isolated a group of rats for several weeks. After a while, they got annoyed. They also seemed to be afraid of other rats and were hypersensitive to all kinds of threats. When something felt threatened  , the isolated rats became immobile. They remained so for a long time even after the threat disappeared. The rats that were not isolated got over the stress from the threat much faster.

At the moment, researchers believe that this also applies to humans.

A previous study showed that banana flies also became more aggressive after longer periods of isolation. In that study  , the researchers also managed to show a connection with a specific chemical and this change: tachykinins – a neuropeptide. The longer they were alone, the higher their tachykinin levels.

The Caltech researchers wanted to see if the rats in their studies also showed an accumulation of this substance. They stated that this was the case. In rats, it was the part of the tachykinins called neurokinin A that increased. This chemical produces our brain in the amygdala and hypothalamus.

Therefore, prolonged isolation may lead to increased production of neurokinin A in rats. This is the substance that made them more aggressive and scared. The researchers also discovered that medication could help reduce these symptoms but not in a stable way.

Spending too much time alone is not good for you. It does not make you freer or more independent. Mostly, it has the opposite effect on you: you only become more vulnerable. You are caught in a cycle where you end up isolating yourself more and more. The insulation can even make you sick.

You can always open up to other people. It’s not easy to leave your bubble but it’s always worth a try. Doing so will help you take a step towards better mental health. Building bridges for other people is invaluable and something we all need to do. It is one of the best ways to grow as a human being.