Social Isolation Kills

When was the last time you felt truly alone? Not so much that time you missed out on going to a party that everyone was invited to, or when your Friday night plans fell through and you ended up stuck at home, but really alone. Feeling as if you have no one to turn to, wanting to do things but having no one to do them with, being stuck at home by yourself every Friday night because you can’t seem to find someone to spend time with.Human connection is at the core of our existence – love, attachment, belonging are attributes of life that resonate so deeply with us they appear to make up the foundations of our being. We crave the company of other humans, we need human touch, we yearn for meaningful relationships. So what happens when we find ourselves lacking this human experience? The psychological effects of this including feelings of sadness, depression and anxiety are widely documented and may come as little surprise to you however what many don’t know are the physical effects of social isolation.Loneliness and social isolation have been shown to impair immune function, reduce sleep quality and even increase risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Furthermore, social isolation has even been shown to impact our brain with increased stress hormones, a decrease in the rate and fate of new cell proliferation in the adult brain as well as overall cognitive decline. However most alarming is the research suggesting that increased social isolation can lead to an increased mortality. A review of the literature from 1980 to 2014 suggests that social isolation can increase risk of mortality by 29%; loneliness by 26% and living alone by 32%. These results remained consistent regardless of gender and world region. In fact, the increased mortality as a result of loneliness and social isolation is comparable to that from smoking.The seriousness of this epidemic goes without saying however is more pressing today than ever due to the apparent increase in feelings of loneliness over the past few decades. According to recent surveys approximately 40% of adults admitted to feeling lonely in comparison to approximately 20% in the 1980s. It is difficult to say exactly what is causing this increase in feelings of loneliness and social isolation however it has been suggested that the importance in todays society on social media and the emphasis on career and work culture play a big role.So what can we do?  Well the answer to this is seemingly simple while simultaneously quite complex. Reducing social isolation can be done in a number of ways from picking up the phone and connecting (or reconnecting) with people that you know, through joining your local social and community groups or by taking a chance and speaking to new people. The Internet can also be used to our advantage, connecting with others has never been more convenient with the emergence of the internet and smart phones; it is just about using it to your advantage. Granted, there are psychological barriers that may have to be overcome initially before these interventions are able to take place. In these instances it may be useful to seek out professional help to increase your abilities and confidence in your abilities to connect with others and experience human connection as we are all entitled to.The psychological and physical manifestations of social isolation and loneliness are signs of your body rejecting these experiences and an expression of its need for human connection. If you are experiencing social isolation it is important to remember that you are not alone in these feelings. Almost everyone will feel this way at some point, however it is important to remember that we can connect with others at any point throughout our lives. We just have to be willing to try.