Visit any mental health treatment facility in the United States, be it the mental health rehabilitation centers, you will find that a majority of the patients are plagued by loneliness apart from their ailment being treated. Loneliness makes you melancholic and the whole world seems to be drab and lackluster. Things you were excited about earlier would appear insipid and you lose the zeal for it.
If you think that this is just what loneliness does, rewire your belief. There is more to loneliness than meets the eye. Recent studies have led to revelation that loneliness can also shorten life span. Due to a feeling of loneliness cellular changes take place inside the body with a heightened probability of falling sick. This happens with older people who are past their prime.
Most of us would have an elderly in the family in the form of a granddad or a grandma. It is our responsibility to 'take care of their needs and ensure that they do not feel isolated or lonely. If we want them to snap out of loneliness and despair, we will have to make necessary emends to facilitate it.
A research which analyzed data collated from 70 studies has come to the conclusion that people who reported to be lonely have 26 percent higher chances of dying than those who weren't lonely.
According to a study published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," lonely people tend to have a weaker immune system with higher levels of inflammation than people who aren't lonely. Since they constantly feel threatened, their health is also more vulnerable than the others'. This invariably affects their life span. Hence a social connect is important at all times.
But this should not be the case in the first place. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, says, "Contrary to what many people think, loneliness is not a normal part of aging, and it not only makes life miserable, it can have a serious impact on your physical and mental health too." Most mental health programs aim at addressing this issue and mental health programs particularly counsel people who report being lonely.
How to make a difference
To witness somebody sulking and ruing in utter loneliness is a pathetic sight, especially if a loved one in the family is going through it. Hence, it is a moral obligation on our part to go out of our way to make the person feel comfortable and wanted. We can make them feel good about themselves in various ways:
Spending time with them: If we can squeeze in a few minutes from our busy schedule and spend some valuable time, it would make a world of difference to them.
Be sensitive to their needs: As people grow older they tend to become sensitive and utmost care has to be taken to deal with them. Not to rub them the wrong way we need to be really sensitive while dealing with them. We should heed to their needs like regular meal timings, medicines, health checkups, etc. In the absence of these they would feel even more isolated and lonely.
Love and care: True love and care do not need words to express. If you show that you really care for them, it will make them feel wanted without feeling lonely. They will surely reciprocate in appreciation, and your loved one will not undergo the turmoil of a lonely life any further.
It's important to be proactive about socializing with others as one ages. Taking part in family traditions and functions, keeping in touch with former colleagues and friends might really help fight loneliness. Even dealing with a chronic illness shouldn't prevent one from trying to get out if possible. If not, smartphones have certainly made it easier to reach out to others in various ways.
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