loneliness a curse

Do you ever feel lonely?

Was it that time when you moved interstate for work and found yourself with no one to hang out with despite being surrounded by people all day?

Or when you were going through that tough time and your family and friends were either too far away or seemed too busy to help?

Loneliness. It’s a killer, it’s really bad for our mental wellbeing and it’s a growing problem.

Whether you’re a business leader, CEO, busy professional, student or a homeless person it’s estimated that one in four Australian adults are experiencing loneliness with 50% feeling lonely for at least one day and week and over 25% feeling lonely for three or more days.

We know smoking is bad for our health but so is social isolation and loneliness.

It’s not something that just afflicts the elderly, certain cultures or gender.

Of those surveyed, young adults are the loneliest (62%) compared to the over 65’s who are the least lonely (46%).

What’s causing the loneliness epidemic?

There are a number of factors but the one causing most concern is reduced social connection.

• More people are choosing to live alone

• More people are working remotely or from home on their own

• More people report having fewer friends

• More people have social interaction anxiety

• More people are dealing with depression

• Many people don’t know their neighbours and aren’t engaged in the local community

Michelle Lim Scientific Chair of the Australian Coalition to End Loneliness and lead author of the 2018 Australian Loneliness Report believes there is an urgent need to get serious about finding effective ways to combat the epidemic.

Because it’s costing us dearly. We don’t appear to have figures for Australia but in the UK the economic cost was calculated at 2.5 billion pounds sterling (AUD $4.5 billion) in 2017 and the situation is seen as being so serious, a Minister for Loneliness was appointed.

Loneliness is a health issue

Research has shown loneliness increases our risk of dying at an earlier age, it’s bad for our heart, our ability to sleep and results in increased levels of inflammation in the body.

Worse still, it’s contagious.

Loneliness can become the veritable pity party where participants jointly spiral down into increasing social disconnection and loneliness. A longitudinal study showed how lonely people ‘infected’ others around them, leading them towards the edge of their social circles and deepening the sense of loneliness.

Loneliness and mental health

The coexistence of loneliness and depression can make it difficult to separate the two. Neither is the direct cause of the other, but both can share common origins. Depression per se reflects how you feel, while loneliness is a reflection of how we feel about our relationships and can be accompanied by depression.

Living alone has been associated with a higher incidence of mental health problems regardless of age or sex. It’s also been shown how it’s the perception of social isolation vs connectedness that influences how people report their level of health and wellbeing. Older adults who felt isolated unsurprisingly report up to 65% more depressive symptoms irrespective of the actual level of social connection. This compares to those who feel most social connected who are 5x more likely to report they enjoy good or excellent health.

The thing is when we feel lonely we are more vulnerable and the potential is we are then at greater risk of suicidal ideation and suicide.

To be continued....