Being Lonely Is Worse Than Smoking 15 Cigarettes A Day, Study Confirms
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There comes a time in life when we feel all alone. Nobody’s around to help us through the trials and tribulations we go through. Nobody steps forward to lend a helping hand and not a single soul is capable of understanding what we feel inside. Considering how it feels, it won’t be wrong to assume that loneliness is probably one of the worst feelings in the world.
But apart from making you feel the saddest you probably ever can, how bad exactly is loneliness for your health? Well, it’s as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!
If a new study is to be believed, loneliness can have as adverse an impact on your health as 15 cigarettes (1). Researchers from the Brigham University conducted this study with Julianne Holt-Lunstad being its lead author.
To prove that loneliness can harm your health as much as 15 cigarettes do, the researchers of this study collected data from several different sources. Each of the studies they took up for analysis to come to their conclusion had participants coming up to 3 million people and consisted of data that focused on living alone, isolation, and loneliness. After their rigorous analysis of all the data they collected, the researchers found out that being alone can negatively impact your life overall.
Holt-Lunstad said that the results of their study can be compared to those of obesity as the latter is something that both the medical world and the world at large take quite seriously. She further went on to say that people ought to get more serious about the relationships in their life as losing them can have catastrophic effects. For example’s sake, she compared the results of her study to those of several others and concluded that the results of loneliness far exceed those of alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and even air pollution!
Apart from discovering the degree of damage loneliness can cause, the study was also able to establish a link between death and social connections. Their research found that people who had stable social connections witnessed a 50% reduction in the chances of premature death. So, being with people can actually help you live longer!
However, despite the grave nature and criticality of loneliness, it still hasn’t been able to get the limelight it deserves. Holt-Lunstad explains this can be because loneliness in itself is a very vague term that cannot exactly be defined by science per se. For example, a person living alone may not necessarily be lonely, while someone living with their family might feel extremely alone. It’s the intangible nature of loneliness that deprives it of the attention it deserves.
With that being said, loneliness is still very much a real problem. According to data released by the National Sample Survey Office of India, roughly 3.68 million women and 1.23 million men either feel lonely or live along throughout the country (2). In fact, loneliness is turning into an epidemic in the nation.
Elderly people in the country are hit the worst, with an estimated 47.49% suffering from loneliness, as per a study conducted by the Agewell Foundation, a New Delhi-based NGO (3). They surveyed 15,000 elderly people to arrive at the alarming statistics. Their study also revealed that loneliness is worse in urban areas as compared to rural ones, with a whopping 64.1% elderly people complaining of extreme loneliness.
This scenario is definitely not pretty and casts a huge shadow of doubt over the future of loneliness and how severe it can become as the years progress. However, a silver lining can be found in the cures for loneliness as it can be combated in a few simple ways.
Canadian clinical psychologist, Dr. Nasreen Khatri suggests that the best way to counter loneliness is to actively socialize as much as you can (4). This means being around people, which can be achieved through multiple activities such as joining a club or an activity class or even taking a stroll in the park. Khatri explains that the presence of other people can reduce the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in lonely individuals. It can also help them keep up their dieting and exercising schedules.
Another Canada-based psychologist, Dr. Oren Amitay, recommends taking up a hobby to battle loneliness (5). Especially when socializing is not an option. A hobby can keep individuals occupied and even give them a sense of purpose, which can be fulfilling.
Getting a pet can also tremendously help in abating loneliness, particularly in the case of elderly people who suffer from hindered mobility. Holt-Lunstad also recommends teaching social skills to school children so they do not suffer from loneliness later on in their lives.
If you’re in a place where you feel lonely, don’t be afraid to reach out and get help instead of suffering in silence. You’d be surprised at how many people will come through for you.
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