Isolation, Part 1 of 2: Problems
Click Here to ViewLoneliness can be a greater health risk than heavy smoking and obesity Length: 6 Minutes See Also: Consider Friends are the family you choose.Jess C. Scott Succeed and Soar‘s Thrive! presents practices that can improve health and wellbeing. This post explores causes and cures for a new American epidemic, loneliness. The Center for Disease Control [CDC] defines social isolation as situations where someone is either not connected to and/or supported by others. Loneliness is “feeling alone or disconnected” and “reflects the difference between a person’s actual and desired level of connection.” The CDC further states that social isolation and loneliness can increase risks for: A 2018 Cigna Health Care survey found that loneliness had reached an all-time high. Forty percent of participants said they either sometimes or always felt their relationships were not meaningful and that they felt isolated. Five years later, U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy reported that loneliness was a major public health risk CDC reasons for these situations include: Other at-risk groups include: Here are CDC suggestions for creating social connections that can reduce stress, allow better sleep and improve life’s healthiness and length: Nurture varied relationships by Give and take by Strengthen social connections Address barriers Parents can promote their children’s social connections by, Another resource is Dale Carnegie’s classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People. It includes these “Ways to Make People Like You,” Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould FordPresenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Research Resources: