The Mental and Emotional Impact L oneliness isn’t thought of as a serious disor- der, but as health and fitness expert Deblina Biswas writes on her website, The Fit Indian, “Chronic loneliness and feelings of alien- ation can be extremely detrimental to health. It can induce alcoholism, make a person suicidal, and increase the risk of mental health disorders.” She adds that “loneliness is one of the major causes of mental diseases, and the sense of isolation can have a similar effect on the brain that is noted when an individual experiences physical pain.” The dangers of being alone are magnified in the later years of life, when independence becomes limited. Gary Kennedy, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says, “The simple reality from birth to old age is that we need one another to regulate not only our emotions but our bodies as well. Not all people who live alone will describe themselves as lonely. But when living alone leads to social isolation there are health consequences.” John Cacioppo is a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Chicago who has studied social isolation for 30 years. He says that feelings of loneliness are linked to poor cog- nitive performance and quicker cognitive decline. In addition, research from the Netherlands showed significantly more risk of developing dementia among people who feel lonely. Kennedy agrees. “On the emotional side, the perception that social support is inadequate is associated with depression, which, if severe and untreated, is associated with increasing disability, loss of weight, disturbed sleep, and thoughts of suicide or actual suicide,” he says. “Loneliness can also lead to a self-defeating sense of hopelessness and helplessness that can perpetuate isolation. It can become a vicious, unrelenting cycle.” The Physical Impact C hronic depression and anxiety—that can be caused by loneliness—prevents people from falling asleep and also makes it harder to stay asleep. Lonely people experience broken sleep and wake up several times during the night. Even a minute increase in loneliness has an effect on sleep. But the problem goes much deeper. Kennedy says, “Loneliness is also associated with problematic changes in the cardiovascular, hormonal, and immune systems. The result is a chronic counter- productive inflammatory state which damages the heart, reduces one’s capacity to resist infection, and promotes loss of bone and muscle.” As an example, researchers surveyed people, asking them to rate their feelings about statements such as, “I lack companionship” and “My social relationships are superficial.” After participants were monitored for five years, the Los Angeles Times reported: “Researchers noted an association between feelings of loneliness and high blood pres- sure. People who ranked as feeling most lonely had blood pressure levels 14.4 points higher than those who felt least lonely. Increases in systolic blood 18 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2018 Lonely people experience broken sleep and wake up several times during the night. Even a minute increase in loneliness has an effect on sleep.