Married But Lonely?

Loneliness is not limited to the isolated.. Or, those without the presence of another human being.

Unfortunately, quite many nowadays are lonely even when married or in the company of others.

(Photo credit: Patheos)

Research indicates that a pervasive loneliness can still exist despite the presence of a spouse, friend, or room mate.

This type of loneliness is rooted in the absence of a wider circle of confidantes with whom one feels unconditionally accepted and known.

Adela’s story proves this point. She’s married to a quiet, self-contained, successful lawyer.

So involved in homemaking and caring for their two young children, Adela depends only on her husband to keep her loneliness at bay.

Her husband grew tired over time, laced with irritating feelings of resentment and claustrophobia.

Adela has found no time or little inclination to develop other close friendships. So when her marriage hit a crisis and got overstressed, she felt so alone.

A surprisingly high number of psychiatric patients are “married but lonely.” They suffer from isolation and malaise of not feeling known enough or fully by anyone, including their spouse.

Lesson learned?

We all need a variety of relationships characterized by differing degrees of closeness. We can’t just depend on one. Otherwise, we get starved for the intimacies of our private lives.