Loneliness 101: What You Need to Know (2024)
What is loneliness? It is the gap between the level of connectedness you want vs what you have. And its not the same as being alone. It is not the same as social isolation either. Loneliness is a subjective feeling. People can have many contacts and still feel lonely. Loneliness is not all bad. In small doses, it is like hunger or thirst. It shows that you are missing something. But when that is prolonged over time, it can be deadly. Here's why. The human being has evolved to seek safety in numbers. So it views loneliness as a threat. It triggers a flight or fight response. Your heart rate rises and your blood sugar and pressure levels increase in case you need more energy for a fight. More inflammatory cells are produced to repair damage. You begin to view other people as potential threats not friends. And this creates a vicious cycle. You feel loneliness which makes you lonelier leading to strokes and heart disease even dementia, inflamma...