Are you lonely? That is the question… Do you have time to think that you are alone? Because of our daily routine, we don’t even realize the last time we shared our time with a loved one. The study shows that young and old feel lonely at the same level, and that loneliness has a significant adverse effect on health.
Who and How Much Feels Lonely?
The ABC project, Australia Talks, included 50,000 Australians, and it was found that 46% of respondents felt lonely.
30% of 18-24-year old feel lonely “frequently” or “always”. This is practically comparable to the older respondents (29%). The results of the study refute the general public awareness that the elderly is mainly lonely.
People living in cities feel lonely more than people who lives in countryside. Up to 50% of metropolitan respondents said they feel lonely “occasionally”, “frequently” or “always”.
The financial side of things is greatly influenced by the fact that people are alone. Low-income earners who earn less than $ 600 a week feel lonely “frequently” or “always”, while 10% respondents with salary $ 3,000 answered the same. Enough money makes it easier to build and maintain social ties.
Loneliness Kills
The analysis, published in the PLOS Medicine Journal, has collected and analyzed the results of nearly 150 studies, highlighting the impact of loneliness on health, namely the lack of social integration and social support.
According to the analysis, loneliness increases the risk of death more than effects such as poor diet, obesity, alcohol consumption and lack of exercise and that it is as harmful as heavy smoking.
The feeling of loneliness and isolation in poverty leads to mental illness, including depression.
How to Get Out of It?
In prehistoric times human lived in groups – to this day natural nations of the Australian bush or the Amazon forest live this way. Later it used to be customary to live in large families, where several generations shared their homes, taking care of each other and their farms. This model of living existed a hundred years ago.
Don’t be afraid to pick up your phone and restore your social ties with friends and family. When else, if not now?
Source and credit: themindunleashed.com/2019/11/loneliness-social-cancer.html, maxpixels.net, pxhere.com, pixabay.com
