In the book Lost Connections by Johann Hari, there’s a true story of how a scientist named John Cacciopo came to realize that loneliness has “striking physical effects.” He found through his research that despite doctors at the time thinking loneliness is just unpleasant it is actually very damaging to our health. It is a key factor in anxiety, depression and overall stress about life. Over long periods of time it can damage our ability to connect with others and hurt our quality of living. It can cause coronary heart disease, stroke and real physical pain. It has also been linked to people dying earlier.
Hari claims that our loneliness epidemic is largely responsible for why depression is so common in modern society. He points to a study that found that among Americans who were asked the question “How many friends do you have that you could call on in a crisis?” The most common answer was zero. Loneliness has become more common over the last decade as 10% more people live alone in the United States than 10 years ago.
In Quarantine, this has become even more dramatic. With the increase of people living alone in recent years, many people now don’t have any opportunity for social connection at all. This is causing real physical harm to people the world over. The disconnection from other people and the uncertainty about the future are already a serious health and cultural issue.
It has even begun affecting people’s love lives. eharmony now offers video services for people to go on virtual first dates instead in having an in person connection. Lack of sex is causing an increase in the demand for sex toys across the western world. According to Violet Du of Libo technology, the demand is so high they are “running around the clock” to fill the orders being placed.
This may seem insignificant but it has been proven that loneliness is both very dangerous and very common. The fact that Covid came about at a time when loneliness was at an all time high, has given us a real problem. It’s still unclear how long these social restrictions will last but the effects of them are already being seen.
If you are struggling with loneliness or you know people who might be, there are a few things you can do. The most obvious is reach out to people and spend time with them, but it is also advised that people go outside and have normal interactions even if they are socially distanced. If you are able to leave your home please do. If you are struggling with a depressed perception of the world, below you can find a link to find a mental health professional to talk with. If you have a friend who is having a hard time coping with the affects of corona, it is often more effective to point them towards a mental health professional than to simply talk to them. Above all, if you are feeling miserable, reach out to a friend and you can have a real effect on reversing this very dangerous trend.
www.talkspace.com
https://www.healthfulchat.org/mental-health-chat-rooms.html
Bibliography
Danvers, Alexander. “Quarantine and Loneliness.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 23 Mar. 2020, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-you-know/202003/quarantine-and-loneliness.
Hari , Johann. “Chapter 2 .” Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Help, by Johann Hari, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019, pp. 73–90.
Willetts, Mitchell. “Lonely in Lockdown? Sex Toy Makers Work 'around the Clock' to Meet Pandemic Demand.” Sacbee, The Sacramento Bee, July 2020, www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article244448307.html
“The ‘Loneliness Epidemic.’” Official Web Site of the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, 10 Jan. 2019, www.hrsa.gov/enews/past-issues/2019/january-17/loneliness-epidemic.
