For some people, loneliness occurs or deepens as they age.
There are a number of reasons for this:
- As you get older there are more opportunities for loss, particularly of friends and partners. The social circle shrinks. These losses can also become cumulative.
- Some people end up caring for partners through illness and infirmity. This can make it harder to maintain relationships with the outside world. Sometimes illnesses like dementia can leave partners feeling very lonely. This study found that the closer the marital bonds were, the increased experience of loneliness if the partner developed dementia. Carers of all ages can feel isolated.
- As we age our capabilities change, it can be harder to leave the house, it can be harder to feel confident being in new spaces.
- In Western society we are often not great at recognising the wisdom and value of elders, instead, they can often end up being and feeling unseen or unwanted.
Therapy can give a space for people to explore these feelings, express anger, sadness, grief and loss. There is space to explore what messages we have internalised about our value, and how we are seen by others. Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues can occur at any point in our lives, but may feel harder to shift when we are older.
It is not a panacea, but it can be a boundaried experience of connection with someone else, of empathy in a non-judgemental space.