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Loneliness: A Danger to Your Health | The Doctor Weighs In
By: Stephen C Schimpff, MD, MACP
Loneliness not only causes emotional discomfort, it also impacts key physiologic parameters leading to multiple disease states and early death.
We often perceive loneliness as a social issue rather than a health issue. This mindset must change, however, because loneliness is now recognized as a leading indicator of health risks. Chronic loneliness is not just a negative feeling. It is as great a risk factor for disease and death as smoking, obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure.
Despite all of this, loneliness is usually not appreciated as a serious health issue. Therefore, it often goes unrecognized by the medical community. Worse, the lonely person may perceive that others are no longer caring friends. And so avoids them or subconsciously pushes them away. This is unfortunate as these are just the individuals that could be of the most assistance.
Loneliness is much more common than generally appreciated.
Everyone has had periods of feeling alone — a child went off to college, a friend moved away, a spouse, parent or child or significant other died. There are many causes.
