Ah, look at all the lonely people. There’s more of us than ever before despite so many convenient ways to connect, including texting, Facebook and other social media sites.
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
“Loneliness is an epidemic,” says psychologist Amy Sullivan, PsyD. “We’re the most socially connected society, yet so many people experience extreme loneliness.”
The problem of loneliness has a surprising impact; it can drill into both mental and physical health, she says.
Feeling lonely is an unpleasant experience that can also have long-term health consequences.
“We know clearly that sitting, smoking and obesity are linked to chronic disease,” Dr. Sullivan says. “But I think of loneliness as another risk factor for chronic health conditions.”
Dr. Sullivan points out that loneliness isn’t the same thing as social isolation. It’s more about how you perceive your level of connectedness to others.
“Someone who’s socially isolated and doesn’t have a lot of social contacts may not feel lonely at all, but someone else may feel lonely even when they’re surrounded by lots of people,” she says.
“When you’re experiencing loneliness, your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, go up,” she says. “Cortisol can impair cognitive performance, compromise the immune system, and increase your risk for vascular problems, inflammation and heart disease.”
Loneliness is also a risk factor for more serious mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
Dr. Sullivan suggests the following to turn loneliness around:
Sometimes loneliness becomes a difficult rut to get out of. It may mean pushing yourself out of your comfort zone a bit.
“I think it can be scary for people to reach out,” says Dr. Sullivan. “If you put yourself out there then there’s a risk of rejection. But in the end, the payoff is much greater than the risk.”
Identify your triggers, set ground rules for your break and start practicing mindfulness
Rather than letting feelings of anger take over, try turning to self-awareness, mindfulness and time-outs
Connecting with others, going for a walk or focusing on sleep quality can help more than you might realize
Like being your own best friend in times of trouble, self-love is an act of self-preservation
It’s labeled as a supplement, but tianeptine is an addictive, dangerous drug
It’s not about embracing your dark side — it’s about showing up for yourself
Like a boring ol’ grey rock, the goal is to be unresponsive and uninteresting to dissuade a harmful situation
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition, not an insult
A healthy diet can easily meet your body’s important demands for magnesium
A super high heart rate means you’re burning more than fat
Type 2 diabetes isn’t inevitable with these dietary changes