Loneliness vs Depression. Do you think there's a difference between these two? And do you think there's a definite cure for them both?

[thegreenyogi]

I realise that this is a question that might trigger a lot of people so apologies in advance. Keep in mind that I just want to hear your thoughts in spirit of teaching me something new. That's why I ask these questions.

[Genie23]

I do think there's a big difference in being lonely and being depressed.

When you're lonely, you're sad because you don't have someone to share what happened, whether good and bad. You don't have that meaningful connection that you crave. So, it might feel like you're depressed but you're just lonely and the moment you'll find that someone who truly cares about you and want to stay connected and have someone to share things with, you'll feel immense joy.

While depression is different. You feel depressed even when you are surrounded by people even if you have people who love you and you have almost everything in life yet you feel hopeless, miserable and numb at times. This is called clinical depression which can be caused by chemical imbalances, hormonal changes, if you have a family with a history of depression in that case you're most likely going to experience that as it's genetics.

But then there is another type of depression which is "situational depression" Let's say you wanted to do something in life but you couldn't achieve that dream and you grew up in an abusive house. You trying to break free from that but everytime you make an effort, things don't seem to work out. Your relationships also eventually fall apart. In cases like this, many people feel depressed because their efforts results comes out on negative whether it has to do with bonding with people or career or something else. You'd feel hopeless and too depressed to get up from bed. You can come out of that when things start doing well in your life and you start getting things you always wanted as you'll start feeling content but it will take time.

In simple words, having people around/with you but you don't feel joy and don't feel like they'll understand what you're going through, things that once gave you joy doesn't anymore that's depression. While loneliness is just craving for attention and companionship and the misery someone feels can be gone if they find some meaningful connections. You most likely need therapy and medications if you're clinically depressed.

[Simslover92]

There's definitely a difference in my opinion. You can be lonely but not depressed and you can be depressed but not lonely.

There are a lot of people that have plenty of friends but deeply depressed just as there are people who are lonely but content with their life.

While you can be both and a lot of times you will be depressed if you suffer from loneliness, it's not always the case.

The definite cure for loneliness is by building social connections. Getting out there and making friends with people.

While there may not be a definite cure for depression things that will help are often by talking with friends, family, a therapist, or in extreme cases getting on medication.

[SotiCoto]

... Why would you believe them even tangentially related?
Loneliness is a mundane issue that superior Autistic individuals like myself aren't particularly prone to. But basically, the socially dependent mundies get all weepy or something if they don't go outside and make pointless animal noises at each other in person periodically. Not really sure how it works since I don't experience it personally.
Depression, meanwhile, is what medical folks tend to call defaulting to a negative emotional state... and they treat it like illness. Personally though, I never felt like being in a perpetually low mood ever qualified as an illness, any more than not being socially dependent.
Anyway... depression can't be cured, though apparently some pills can temporarily mitigate it (or exacerbate it). It is just temporary in any case. And loneliness probably can't be cured either, much like NOT being Autistic can't be cured... but can be temporarily alleviated by sending the socially dependent monkey to play with other socially dependent monkeys.

[Purpleronnie]

Clearly there is a distinct difference while they may also have an interconnected relationship , one can follow the other or be a symptom of the other.


Loneliness is a subjective feeling , depression a recognized mental health disorder and I have personal experience of both. Ironically you don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. depression is commonly banded around in place feeling sad , or having a bad day or week.. or a run of unfortunate events causing some level introspection and reflection. This is infuriating to those affected because depression is completely all consuming and debilitating , casting a shadow on every part of your life becoming your friend , convincing you of your fears and anxieties , reminding you of your failings , a punishment for every wrong you have ever done , spiraling you deeper into an abyss causing you to pushing away everyone and everything good in your life because you believe you simply don’t deserve it.


So yeah , there IS a difference !

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Identifiers are reductive.

Talking about loneliness and depression in a closed box doesn't make any sense. Instead, I would find meaning in elaborating on what loneliness or depression is for us, each of us, all of us.

Additionally, I don't believe in a cure because depression and loneliness are not automatically a disease, they can be unavoidable, necessary phases in life. From which we become different, someone else, not cured, different.

[rtj1211]

Loneliness is one possible trigger for depression, but it is absolutely not the only one.

Depression is actually a state when a temporary brain switch gets locked permanently in the on/off state (depending on how you look at things).

In well-functioning brain biochemistry, certain things trigger the 'something's wrong' switch. The response is taking some actions which clears up whatever was wrong.

In depressive biochemistry, either the chemicals don't trigger action or the action doesn't clear the depressive chemicals.

As one example, poor diet is one factor known to trigger depression. Here, the body is saying "I'm not receiving healthy food - give me some!' Usually, the person does not do that, usually out of either ignorance, poverty or both. If this goes on for months, depression can set in. Many depressions can be lifted simply by making sure someone exercises regularly, eats three healthy meals a day and has agreeable company.

[Zack-Bann]

There is a difference in a sense that some people are surrounded by people and are still depressed


But there’s definitely a correlation


I think if humans are left with their own thoughts for too long they tend to circle back around to depression because hopelessness is easy to achieve


I should know.
I’m very familiar with both these things


But it’s another part of life to control the depression and avoid the loneliness
Nothing we can do other than push through it

[Lynx122]

Yes I think they're completely different. You can be alone but not depressed and you can have the best of friends but be depressed.

Loneliness is definitely easier to overcome. You just have to work on whatever is holding you back from socializing. It might take a while but you will find people that you get along with eventually.

Depression it can have different causes so each one is different. If the cause is purely in your brain a imbalance in hormones then you need meds nothing you can do about it otherwise. If it's something else then you can work on the cause.

[Shiprex]

I don't think they're related. Loneliness is a state of being. It's not a state of mind like depression. Sure, we're social beings and tend to do better with social interaction and supportive networks. However, there can be instances where being around people is depressing. These energy vampires suck the offer force out of you and give nothing in return. That could be depressing as well where the alone time is where one can recharge and recoup the lost soul experienced.

Being alone is often misconstrued as lonely when it's just self sustaining through personal processing and consideration. It's like healing, only within the body can one heal wounds whether physical or emotional.

[genericname85]

obviously there's a huge difference beteen feeling lonely cause you don't have enough of a social life and your brains biochemistry being off, making you sad (depressed) as a result all the time for no good reason.

feelings have a purpose. the purpose is to motivate you to satisfy your needs and if you need to be connected and social, then feeling depressed motivates you to go socialize. it's perfectly healthy, unlike depression where that exact mechamism is malfunctioning and your brain making you feel bad without any need you have causing that.

[genericname85]

the feeling of loneliness can be a part of depression. just like sadness and anger. but unlike depression all these other emotions are there for good reason.

[hannamontana]

Yes, loneliness and depression are different, though they can feel similar. Loneliness is a feeling of being alone or isolated, missing connection with others. Depression is a deeper mental health condition with symptoms like sadness, low energy, and loss of interest that affect many parts of life. You can be lonely without being depressed, and you can be depressed even if you’re not lonely.

[Razp_Sorbet]

I mean yeah they're different... if you feel better around people you're probably just lonely but if you still feel like shit around people who typically make you feel happy you're probably depressed. Cure for loneliness is to have friends cure for depression is to get help.

[jazzy34]

Yes. As someone who has diagnosed clinical depression, there is definitely a difference. Depression is a mental illness that requires medical attention while loneliness is a state of being. You can “cure” loneliness by putting yourself out there, making friends, doing things, etc. Depression, on the other hand, has no cure. Again, it requires medical treatment, medication, and/or counseling.

[MikeTheBartender]

Spending time outside is a good cure for depression. I even tell people if you live somewhere with shitty weather go by Windows by the window, now that won't help loneliness, but it does help depression. And of course going to the gym, activities, doing things you love, but more of a key is doing things you love that you do with other people. I like art, but painting by yourself isn't going to help loneliness or depression

[AndrésC64]

Absolutely there is a difference. If we are talking about depression, that is a clinically diagnosable condition that often involves a chemical imbalance in the brain. The treatment for depression often involves therapy and medication. The treatment for loneliness could be as simple as joining the club.

[najekim]

IMHO, there is a difference. Most loneliness can be overcome by going somewhere with people around or calling up a friend to do something. One can be lonely without being sad. One can be alone without being lonely. Depression, on the other hand, some is by a disorder, most is by choosing to be depressed. One can be sad without being depressed. It all depends on how disciplined you are mentally.

[Anonymous]

Loneliness is not a disease, so there is no cure. Loneliness is a result of depression. I don't think there is a cure for depression either, no matter how many specialists you see or how many medications you take, depression doesn't go away. You should learn to live with depression.

[purplepoppy]

Loneliness leads to depression and depression causes you to withdraw leading to loneliness. The quickest way to depress people is to leave them alone with their own thoughts.

[OneViewpoint]

LOL, not true. Some of us are most comfortable when alone with our own thoughts. The quickest way to depress us is to force us to interact with people we find boring or stupid. But there's actually no way to really do that. We'll simply get up and leave.

[dustybiker2]

@OneViewpoint Yeah, have to agree with you. I have to be alone to heal too.

[OneViewpoint]

@dustybiker2 ,

Not talking about healing. I'm talking about not wasting my life dealing with a horde of people who will absolutely waste my time and bore me to tears.

[Nikki1989]

Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to a perceived lack of social connection or intimacy. Depression is a diagnosable mental health condition.

[beenherebefore]

Depression is a mental health condition, people overuse the term depression often in a wrong way. Loneliness is when you lack social connections. Two very different things in my opinion.

[WhitneySnow]

Depression is a medical diagnosis. I don’t think loneliness is, though it can lead to depression.

[TheSpaceGnome]

The cure for loneliness is compatible company.
Depression is just sadness, the cure for sadness is joy.
What brings people joy will vary, and not every sad person is lonely.

[tzdc21]

Well loneliness is more that you are feeling all alone abd that nobody can really see or understand you. But you can be depressed and not feel alone. Just my two cents.

[Friendlybro79]

I think loneliness can possibly bring on depression. Not exactly the same but with one might come the other. Yes I do think there's a cure but it might be difficult for some people

[DannyUk2017]

None, they both go hand in hand, and make our life miserable...

[Dargil]

Loneliness can slide into depression. Not so much the other way.

There are answers to both.

[dustybiker2]

Depression is clinical. Only a doctor should diagnose this.

[DishLady]

Yes there’s a big difference bc just being lonely doesn’t mean you’re depressed.

[LiaRaven]

Definitely there is a difference

loneliness sometimes it’s chosen by people, but no one chooses depression

[qwerty2469]

Yes. Loneliness, depression, addiction. All the negative is connected to one thing. We as Himans are made to bond. If we dont bond with others we bond with Loneliness, Depression, and addiction. Get out. Make bonds. Then you won't bond with pain.

[jshm2]

Obviously, as one is a self imposed condition, the other a medical one.

[Anonymous]

It's not the same, there are differences.

Is there a cure?

Well, if you have good friends, you can cure loneliness.

But for depression, you definitely need more luck, to have a happy life.

[FunkyMonkee]

There's a difference but, there's also a link.
Love is the cure!!

[Dongie]

Either one can lead to the other if you think about it. But depression is a demon that's hard to shake!!

[McSteamy]

Loneliness defines lacking a company.
Depression defines losing someone we loved.

[Lokiion]

I don’t agree with this at all to be honest as depression can be caused with or without a reason as for loneliness it not really a company thing but more so an emotion and or lack of being understood

[dudeinohio]

Definitely a difference. There is a cure for loneliness. Depression can only be treated.

[seeyounexttuesday]

I mean they're different, but lonliness can cause depression and vice versa.

[Pterodon]

Constant loneliness can cause depression and gets very depressing

[Kingofkings1992]

One can cause the other, but yes. Most definitely a distinction

[Anonymous]

*loneliness is not something that requires treatment

[msc545]

Loneliness often leads to depression.

[wkhan_87]

Loneliness brings depression

[Jmmmfi4]

I definitely think there is a difference

[eagle1951]

some difference and yeah they go together