Marriage doesn’t make us immune to loneliness. In fact, it might make it worse. But how can you feel lonely when there’re two of you? Yes, your husband might be sitting right next to you, but emotionally he’s just not there. And this disconnect, which can develop over time, can make you feel alone and isolated, even though you’re with someone. This is what it means to feel married and lonely.
In general, loneliness seems to be on the rise. In 2018, health service company Cigna conducted a national survey exploring the impact of loneliness and found that nearly half of Americans are sometimes or always feeling alone (46 percent) or left out (47 percent). And it’s not just single people who are experiencing this. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, 28 percent of people who are dissatisfied with their family lives feel lonely all or most of the time.