We all know that not all singles and not married couples are lonely. However, people in both groups admit to being lonely. How is being lonely while single different from being lonely while married? Are they different or equally terrible? While everyone's views are welcome, I believe only people who have been both single (living alone) for an extended time and have been in long-term relationships/marriages can offer wise words on this topic.
Yes people can most definitely feel lonely in marriage for a variety of reasons.The dynamics are different from being lonely when single as the loneliness when being single range from just missing the warmth of having someone special in ones life..missing romantic/physical intimacy...missing having someone to come home too ect..
Yet the feeling of loneliness can very much overlap too as the person one is married to can be emotionally/physically withdrawn..ie away on business so they are not physically around..also things like mis understandings or disagreements can cause one to feel lonely because they are not understood or appreciated by their spouse.At times a wife can even feel lonely just being a housewife due to the lack of interaction from her spouse during the day as he maybe at work of even involved in ministry or important meetings ect.
Loneliness within marriage can also be red flags of being vulnerable as left unresolved someone else other than ones spouse can provide whatever is being yearned for by the married person like attention,,understanding,emotional or physical intimacy (like just having them available to talk too...even just making them smile or laugh)...leading to inappropriate emotional attachments.
Loneliness when single stems mostly from the absence of not having a partner in ones life..loneliness in marriage stems from the feelings of unforfillment,dis satisfaction..feeling unable to connect with the one one is married too in one way or another which triggers feelings of feeling isolated,hurt ect.
Having said that loneliness can also be caused by wrong expectations ect or having wrong motives..
Example..
A husband comes home from work late and wants to be physically intimate with his wife..however having spent all day with the 4 youngs kids..dropping them off at school..picking then up..cleaning the house..preparing their tea...organising their bath time..reading them bedtime stories ect ect..his wife is just too worn out..tired and fatigued and just wants a nice soak in the bath and an early night..physical intimacy is the last thing on her mind.
Her husband misreads her lack of sexual interest as rejection and goes to bed feeling unloved and lonely..his wife also feels unappreciated by him and isolated with the responsibilities of being a wife and a mother..as a woman she feels alone in this experience..