In 2023, resolve to combat chronic loneliness | Something to Think About
A new year and a “clean slate” as they say. A recent article I read was very interesting and focused on loneliness and how it affects not only our mental health but physical health as well. It appears in the most recent issue of Rotary magazine and was written by Wen Huang.
He wrote about the work of the late professor, Dr. John Cacioppo, who was often referred to as Dr. Loneliness.
He was the director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience. His book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection examines the pathology and public health implications of the subject. Huang worked with Cacioppo for a period of time and was familiar with his work on the subject of loneliness.
Huang relates a story about himself growing up. As a child growing up in China, he scored well on a state exam at age 11, which resulted in being taken from ordinary elementary school and being transferred to an academy for gifted children. The place, he wrote, was comprised of cold dormitories and a military-style mess hall, where he lived until he was 17.
He goes on to relate that being sent to this academy meant he was separated from his friends and his ever-present grandmother who had raised him. Instead, he was moved into a guarded compound of drab, austere buildings where he and 19 other boys spent seven hours a day memorizing science formulas and ideological jargon. As a result of being in this environment, he developed digestive problems and experienced frequent bed-wetting.
When he asked Dr. Cacioppo whether loneliness could have been attributed to these things, he told him “The illness was more of a biological signal that reminded you that it was time to reconnect with those around you to promote your short-term survival.”
The research done by Cacioppo revealed that self-imposed loneliness increases the risk of developing a range of illnesses and disorders, including neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and even cancer.
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Some reasoning behind this is that lonely people, may tend to be more impulsive and hostile. Lonely people may be more likely to eat soothing foods (that are high in sugar and fat) which affect the brain. The brain could then perceive the social environment as hostile or unsafe, so it sends signals to ratchet up the alert status of immune system defenses, which in turn diminishes resistance to inflammation and disease.
When Huang worked with Cacioppo in the fall of 2015, he became very involved in assisting him in putting the essay of his studies on loneliness together.
Dr. Cacioppo was a pioneer in the field of social neuroscience, which examines the line between social experiences and biological systems. He was among the first to point to loneliness as a public health crisis.
According to Cacioppo: “When loneliness becomes chronic (putting aside perhaps a short-term bout with it), it increases the odds of mortality about 26%, about the same as for people living with obesity.”
He pointed out that it was time to have honest discussions about the topic and that fortunately, some nations (notably Denmark, Japan, and Britain) have established programs to raise awareness of chronic loneliness and to improve interventions by professionals.
If the pandemic has proven anything, it is that lack of contact with others has a negative effect on those of all ages.
After Cacioppo's passing, subsequent research was done. A 2018 survey, for instance, said America’s 75 million millennials and Generation Z adults are lonelier than any other demographic group and they report being in worse health than older generations.
So, cutting to the chase here, what can be done to help the lonely? Of course human contact, a visit with someone who is homebound, a call, a video visit all are part of the solution.
Not surprising is the fact that becoming involved can reverse the feeling of loneliness.
Volunteering may give one small doses of positive sensations that are needed to go beyond the fearful state that holds one back. The good doctor said that families and friends are often the first to notice signs of chronic loneliness.
“When a person acts sad and lethargic,” he explained, “it may be a quiet call for someone to help and connect. Continued patience, empathy and support over repeated occasions can help rebuild trust and connection.”
As we all think about our New Year’s resolutions, perhaps the resolution is actually an action. To become involved, to lend an ear, to brighten someone’s day on a regular basis!
Debbie Kulick writes a weekly column for the Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent. She serves on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as an EMT.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Feeling lonely? It can make you sick | Kulick
