Everyone knows what it’s like to be lonely. It often happens during life’s transitions: when a student leaves home for college, when an unmarried businessman takes a job in a new city, or when an elderly woman outlives her husband and friends. Bouts of loneliness are a melancholy fact of human existence.
Lack of connection with others not only makes us unhappy but it is also bad for the well being of the body and mind, research finds. A sense of rejection or isolation increases blood pressure, stress levels and general wear and tear as well as increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. It also reduces will power and perseverance, thus affecting the ability to follow a healthy lifestyle, according to scientists.
The findings were outlined by Professor John Cacioppo, of the University of Chicago. Loneliness not only alters behavior, but loneliness is related to greater resistance to blood flow through your cardiovascular system, Professor Cacioppo said.
Loneliness leads to higher rises in morning levels of the stress hormone cortisol, affects the immune system, higher blood pressure and an increased level of depression. Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, also is related to difficulty getting a deep sleep and a faster progression of Alzheimer’s disease, said Professor Cacioppo. Health wise, he said the difference between a lonely person and a popular person was akin to “a smoker and a non-smoker. That stunned all of us, myself and all my colleagues in terms of the effects it had,” he said. “It shows just how powerful it is.”
People are living longer, having fewer children later in life and increasingly mobile around the world. Surveys also show that people report significantly fewer close friends and confidants than those a generation ago.
The news isn’t all bad, however. Even for hard cases, Cacioppo believes loneliness can be overcome. The most effective interventions were those that involved activities to shift people’s attention and interpretation of social situations in a more positive direction. As for preventing loneliness, Cacioppo writes: “The degree of social connection that can improve our health and our happiness … is both as simple and as difficult as being open and available to others.”
