The meaning of "loneliness" for traumatized veterans: A semiotic investigation of veterans' written narratives

Abstract

Loneliness may be a pertinent problem for veterans in the often-traumatic aftermath of war, and while the qualitative nature of this loneliness bears clinical significance, it remains largely uninvestigated. Specifically, while a sole qualitative study suggests that veterans' loneliness revolves around the notion of being alone with their experiences (i.e., experiential loneliness), no current study examined what "loneliness" as a signifier may mean from the veteran's perspective. To fill this gap, in the current semiotic investigation, published books written by veterans were located and scrutinized for the terms "lonely," "loneliness," "alone," and "aloneness." The meanings of these terms were derived from the narrative contexts in which they appeared. Four books were found suitable for the current investigation. Analysis confirmed the validity of the experiential loneliness construct, and yielded a stratified experience with multiple nuanced meanings: a) being the only one who feels in a certain way, b) not being understood, c) being unable to communicate the experience, d) having the experience concealed or invisible to others, e) feeling alien and homeless in a civilian world, and f) being alone in coping. Underscoring the difference between the experiences of loneliness revealed in the analysis and other types of loneliness, findings are discussed in the context of clinical and societal implications.

Traumatization, Loneliness, and Suicidal Ideation among Former Prisoners of War: A Longitudinally Assessed Sequential Mediation Model

“…Studies suggest that military loneliness is different from civilian loneliness ( 41 ), and that veteran loneliness is different still ( 42 , 43 ). Specifically, combat veterans may feel that they belong in the military, where their capabilities are valued, but at the same time feel alienated and estranged from civilian society [e.g., Ref.…”

“…( 44 – 46 )]. Furthermore, veterans may feel lonely in the sense that no one back home shares their experience or can understand what they have been through—neither family and friends, nor society at large ( 42 , 43 ). This phenomenon has been conceptualized as “experiential loneliness,” connoting the sensation of being undesirably alone with one’s experiences.…”

“…In a similar vein, research has shown that often traumatized veterans’ most pressing reintegration challenges include interpersonal difficulties, particularly in overcoming the challenge of confiding or sharing personal thoughts and feelings with others, keeping up non-military friendships, and belonging in “civilian” society ( 47 ). Nevertheless, a lack of belongingness is but one of several facets of veterans’ stratified experience of loneliness ( 42 , 48 ).…”

Growing Apart: A Longitudinal Assessment of the Relation Between Post-traumatic Growth and Loneliness Among Combat Veterans

“…The first hypothetical scenario suggests that high PTG may be a predictor of increased loneliness and is strongly related to the phenomenological properties of a veteran’s loneliness. Recent qualitative investigations ( Stein and Tuval-Mashiach, 2015a ; Stein, 2017a ) suggest that the manifestation of veterans’ loneliness may be attributed primarily to their conviction that civilians cannot possibly comprehend the experiences of war and captivity, nor can they comprehend or identify with their post-traumatic aftermath (e.g., struggling with post-traumatic stress symptomatology). As these experiences are arguably incommensurable with quotidian life, it is argued that upon homecoming repatriated veterans and ex-POWs may sense that they are condemned to bear their torment alone.…”

“…This stratified phenomenon, termed experiential loneliness ( Stein and Tuval-Mashiach, 2015a ; Stein, 2017a , b ), may also apply to PTG. As a person’s growth leads to a reevaluation of the Self, the world and others ( Janoff-Bulman, 2006 ) this newly gained understanding may extensively differ from that of his or her surroundings.…”