Loneliness

Apt quotes on loneliness

'The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.'

-- Mother Teresa

'The eternal quest of the individual human being is to shatter his loneliness'
--Norman Cousins

'Everyone desires relationships and community. Most people want to belong to a cohesive, like-minded group. It staves off loneliness. It promotes identity. These are natural and very human instincts.'

--Joshua Ferris

Statistics

In England, according to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, 800,000 people suffer from chronic loneliness. In a country of over 53 million peoples, I suspect the real figure is much greater.

More shockingly he says five million people see television as their main form of company, a national shame.

Effects on Health

He describes loneliness as being worst than obesity and 'smoking 15 cigarettes a day' because of the increased risk of -

Heart disease

Dementia

Suicide

Decreased memory and learning

Antisocial behaviour

Increased stress levels

Weakened immunity

Less physically healthy (poor diet and less exercise)

According to John Cacioppo, co-author of the book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social, "Their diet is higher in fat, their sleep is less efficient, and they report more daytime fatigue. Loneliness also disrupts the regulation of cellular processes deep within the body, predisposing us to premature aging."

In addition, social isolation causes elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone produced in response to stress. Research suggests that too much of this hormone triggers heart disease and inflammation - people who are lonelier, die earlier.

Causes

A lack of companionship
Not been able to 'fit in', feeling like a 'black pearl' in a box of shining jewels.
Lacking close friends
Lacking social support and feeling invisible

Also contributing to isolation is changing circumstances, such as -

Moving jobs or unemployment
Divorce or separation
Old age
Mental illness

Lonely people exhibit a desire to be 'normal', to be like everyone else and perhaps more importantly, a desire to be loved.

Combating loneliness

Experts believe that it is the quality and not the quantity of social interaction which combats loneliness.

They say having three to four close friends is more effective at warding of the negative health consequences of loneliness than having 100's. 
Eliminating chronic loneliness requires just one or few good relationships.

Is loneliness genetic?

According to John Cacioppo, director of the University of Chicago's Center for 'Cognitive and Social Neuroscience', loneliness is 'half genetic and half environmental'. Nature vs nurture theory is disputed in the CNN health article 'Feeling lonely? genes might be at fault'.

Interesting reads 

Emily White, author of 'Lonely: A Memoir' writes an interesting piece on loneliness in the Huffington post. 
Maria Konnikova piece on why Facebook makes us unhappy, from the New Yorker. 
Jo Griffin, The Loneliness Society by the Mental Health Foundation.