New research from the University of Cambridge shows that loneliness can be detrimental to mind and body. It is significantly more likely to contract very serious and even life-threatening physical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes.
The body reacts with a stress-response that has repercussions on immune system activity induced by a lack of meaningful social affiliations over time. Together with this lethargy brought about by lowered effectiveness of the immune response, the individual becomes increasingly susceptible to infectious diseases and chronic diseases. It has been equated with other variables, which are considered major risks to healthy living-obesity, smoking, and hypertension-in declaring it as one of the most dangerous modern epidemics in the world.
Importance of Social Connections
People have been social beings. Interactions with friends, family, and communities create an environment in which an individual finds belonging. It creates human well-being in substantial amounts. It has shown that social relationships bring increased amounts in reducing stress and inflammation within the body. Isolation, however, can open the door to all kinds of chronic stress that will jeopardize the body’s immune response system.
Loneliness increases the likelihood of adopting poor habits, such as poor diets, inadequate exercise, or increased use of things that are not good for human health, further compounding the chance of acquiring really serious illnesses. Experts believe that public health campaigns should include the importance of treating loneliness as one of the serious public-health initiatives alongside smoking and unhealthy food consumption.
What the Research Proves
The study conducted by the University of Cambridge has transferred related disease data for years from thousands of individuals. It revealed that people who have healthier lives as adolescents or young adults better survive in terms of physical health over the long term, and the evidence points toward conditions like strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and blood pressure. The study stresses the importance of relationships for mental wellness and as a preventive measure against physical health issues.
Indeed, it is common to feel lonely at times. Attachments with loved ones, local activities, and professional counseling are suggested antidotes to chronic loneliness. Keeping in touch by way of digital means should not be construed as an excuse to forgo face-to-face interactions, with the latter being better emotionally and physiologically.
As far as loneliness is concerned, no doubt, it is not only an abstract emotional experience but a highly significant health consideration afflicting the majority population in the world. With ongoing research about how isolation-experienced people suffer from effects that go far beyond their individual lives, it is becoming apparent that the relationship had not been a personal choice but a need for health and value in life.