Table of Contents
Introduction
Loneliness and solitude are commonly linked to detrimental health effects, whether they be physical, mental, intellectual, etc. According to a survey conducted by CIGNA in 2018, in the 20,000 U.S. adults they surveyed, most of the participants scored a 43 or higher on the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Around half of Americans reported that they feel alone, or left out, and one in four Americans feels as if there is nobody that truly understands them (CIGNA, 2018). Loneliness can be defined as a “distressing experience that occurs when a person’s social relationships are perceived by that person to be less in quantity, and especially in quality, than desired” (Hawley, 2016).
In a study conducted by Emilie Courtin and Martin Knapp, both employees of the London School of Economics and Political Science, in the Personal Social Services Research Unit, it was stated that isolation has been identified as a risk factor for poor health and reduced well-being and mortality, which clearly demonstrates how loneliness can have toxic health effects. It has also been argued that the health risks associated with isolation and loneliness are equivalent to the well-known effects of smoking and obesity, which are fatal diseases in the world that kill millions of people annually, showing the significance and impact of this problem on one’s health (Courtin and Knapp, 2015). This study provides a foundation in proving how solitude can lead to negative mental and physical health effects.
Alternatively, solitude is reportedly extremely dangerous, as it has the ability to negatively impact one’s mental and physical well being by being able to cause disruptions to one’s health, such as precipitating suicidal thoughts and actions and affecting the immune and cardiovascular system (Tiwaru, 2013). A plethora of studies and evidence shows both the positive and negative effects of loneliness on one’s health, but ultimately, isolation is proved to be detrimental toward one’s physical and mental well being, as it leads to many illnesses that drastically affect one’s fitness and can even cause life-threatening diseases, which introduces the driving question: to what extent do the detrimental effects of solitude negatively impact health? From unfavorably impacting physical and mental health and public healthcare, it can be seen that isolation is a detrimental factor that hinders one’s personal life as well as the community around them.
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Effects of Loneliness on Physical Health
The detrimental effects of solitude can be seen in one’s physical health. It has been reported that isolation can cause many serious health problems such as causing inflammation and increasing one’s levels of stress hormones, which can lead to more dangerous health disorders such as Type 2 Diabetes, increased risk of heart disease, arthritis, dementia, and even suicidal thoughts and actions (Brody, 2017). With these more serious health disorders, it would be harder or even impossible to perform daily activities and it would also take a toll on one’s financial status, directly affecting one’s physical health as well. Without a stable financial status, one will have to worry about paying bills that he/she may not have the resources to do, resulting in skyrocketing stress levels along with deteriorating health. This can also be seen through an article published by the Harvard Medical School, which states that loneliness may play a role in the development of cardiovascular problems.
According to Dr. Robert Waldinger, the professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, one reason why is due to the fact loneliness deprives one of social interaction. Social interaction has many benefits, and as Dr. Waldinger states, “We all need help managing stress, and we use different things to help us when we’re feeling upset… Sometimes you can feel your entire body calming down” (Harvard Heart Magazine, 2018). Without these natural stress relievers, one’s stress levels will keep on increasing, which in turn releases the hormone cortisol, which triggers low-level inflammation. Low-level inflammation is prone to damaging the systems in your body, especially the blood vessels and heart. This clearly demonstrates the effect of isolation on one’s physical well being, as it shows the correlation between the negative effects of solitude and one’s health: that too little interaction with others will increase the risk of developing health disorders, therefore proving how loneliness is detrimental toward one’s health.
Detriments of Loneliness on Mental Health
Besides physical effects, isolation can also lead to various negative, mental-related disorders. According to a study conducted by BMC Psychiatry, isolation is the cause or is a contribution to the development of many mental disorders. To emphasize how solitude is detrimental to one’s mental health, the following is included: “Loneliness has been associated with many negative mental health outcomes such as depression, suicidality, reduced positive emotions, poor sleep quality, and general health, as well as physiological changes… It has therefore been considered a major source of psychological stress, especially when combined with depression” (Beutal et al, 2017). This fact illustrates the significance of the presence of loneliness and its impact on mental health.
All of the negative mental health outcomes of loneliness are extremely dangerous to one’s health and could lead to more serious, possibly fatal conditions in the future. However, many argue that there are benefits to isolation when given in controlled amounts. According to Amy Morin, psychotherapist and international bestselling mental strength author, there are many reasons to why isolation is healthy, such as the fact that it builds empathy, increases productivity and creativity, and develops mental strength (Morin, 2017). Although these benefits are notable, the cons of isolation still outweigh the pros. Even though solitude may build empathy and mental strength, the fact that one can develop potentially fatal health conditions outweighs these small benefits by multitudes, thus demonstrating how loneliness is detrimental towards one’s health.
Effect of Loneliness on Public Health
Solitude and isolation also have a lasting impact on public healthcare. According to a study written by Kerstin Gerst-Emerson Ph.D., and Jayani Jayawardhana Ph.D. and published by the American Journal of Public Health, loneliness is linked to many health disorders such as cognitive decline, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Through this study, they discovered that loneliness is a significant health problem among the elderly, and increased feelings of loneliness are linked with increased physician visits, which in turn increases public healthcare costs (Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana, 2015).
In order to be able to come to this conclusion, Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana examined hospitalization and physician visits within the past 2 years and the prevalence of solitude within those who visited and their personal lives. Through these examinations, they were able to conclude that for both years, more than half of the people they studied were lonely, which only emphasizes the presence of the cycle of illness and health care utilization. However, there were some limitations to this study that may have skewed the data. For instance, for the questionnaires sent out, not all participants filled out all of the questions provided, and it was also noted that due to the long time span of the study, it is common for the underreporting at higher numbers of visits to these facilities.
Nevertheless, this does not undermine the fact that this study proved that those suffering from loneliness tend to visit their physicians and hospitals more often than those who have a lesser degree of loneliness. Due to the higher number of visits, the costs of providing these services ultimately increases, negatively affecting the finances of these facilities as well as the government if these facilities are run by the government. From this, it is also implied that there are increased hours of time treating these patients suffering from loneliness, which could be reduced if they didn’t make as many visits, so it indirectly states that the increased amount of visits also takes up more time that could be used for other, possibly more needed tasks.
How to Cope with Loneliness
Even though loneliness may seem like an impossible cycle to break, there is hope. As stated in the study conducted by CIGNA, it was reported that only 53% of Americans have meaningful interactions with those around them, and when put into perspective of all of America, is an incredibly substantial amount of people (CIGNA, 2018). This statistic highlights the prominence of isolation in society, meaning that the need for a solution for solitude is greater than ever. There are multiple methods that one can do in order to help reduce the feeling of isolation, all of them requiring a change in perspective in one’s daily life. By reevaluating gestures of caring from others, interacting with others with a positive and outgoing perspective, revisiting old favorites, trying new things or by taking a more empathetic stance, the level of loneliness present in one’s lives may decrease (Winch, 2017). Reassessing other’s actions may help lead to a more positive outlook, as one may discover small gestures others have done which may have been overlooked.
Consequently, one may feel less disconnected and more involved with others. By interacting with others through a positive lens may help rekindle the feeling of connectedness between people, reducing the perception of isolation in one’s life. If one revisits old favorites, whether it be a favorite movie, place, or music genre, it may help reignite past feelings of connection, which would in turn trigger decreased loneliness levels. Trying new things or making new memories, especially meaningful and emotional ones, with others will help generate excitement in one’s life, and thus stimulate a feeling of positive interaction. Subsequently, one’s loneliness level will then dwindle, resulting in a better state of mind. Lastly, by becoming more empathetic, or viewing situations from another’s perspective will help oneself gain a better sense of another person’s situation, increasing the level of understanding between oneself and another, resulting in a decreased feeling of isolation in one’s life.
Looking in the future, there are many other more developing, but promising methods to help one cope with their perceived loneliness. Even though these treatments revolve mainly around the elderly, there are many that can accommodate younger adults that struggle with the feeling of isolation. Some examples of these possible treatments are: public health initiatives to produce welcoming communities, psychological intervention, increased use of digital technology and programs to connect people to others and social activities, as well as opportunities within local communities (Mann, Bone, Lloyd-Evans, Frerichs, Pinfold, Ma, Wang, Johnson, 2017). However, there is no robust evidence to prove the effectiveness of these treatments, but they do have the potential to become extremely effective treatments in the future with more development and testing. With more powerful treatments, the prevalence of solitude in society will decrease, benefitting both the individual as well as the community as a whole.
Conclusion
In order to fully understand how to reduce the feeling of loneliness and isolation for a better life and improved health, one must understand the consequences of uncontrolled solitude and the detriments of it to one’s health, as controlled isolation may bring positive outcomes. Loneliness negatively affects the mental and physical health of a person, and if uncontrolled for an excessive amount of time, can lead to dangerous, if not fatal disorders and illnesses. Solitude also has somewhat of an impact on the general public through public healthcare and hospitals. If one is able to overcome or cope with their loneliness, it would greatly benefit them and their community as a whole, giving more reason to why a solution must be sought out and implemented to stop the epidemic of loneliness in today’s society.
