By Phil Rosenbalm
Loneliness affects a lot more people than you may realize. Over 60% of adults in the U. S. report feeling lonely. The loneliest group is between 18 and 22 years old. Research has shown that 33% of the people in the U.S. experience loneliness on a regular basis. It is worse for young people, of whom 61% say that they are chronically lonely. Over half of the mothers of young people also express feeling lonely. Loneliness is now recognized as a persistent public health issue. In a news article by Steven Zauderer (2023), 3% of the U. S. population reported having no friends in 1990. However, this number jumped to 12% in 2020. It has been reported that 8% of the population say they have no close friends, while 53% say they have between one and four close friends.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are many health issues related to loneliness. These include heart disease, strokes, Type 2 Diabetes, depression, anxiety, addiction, dementia and earlier death, self-harm, and suicide. Loneliness can reduce cognitive skills, ability to concentrate, ability to make decisions, and problem-solving and can lead to negative self-beliefs. Loneliness increases stress levels, which, among other things, can make it harder to fight infections and make one more susceptible to cancer. Loneliness also leads to psychiatric problems such as alcohol abuse, child abuse, sleep problems, personality disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.
The good news is that there are various steps one can take to feel less lonely. Practicing “mindfulness,” that is, focusing on the present moment, can be quite helpful. Doing volunteer work, such as Meals on Wheels or other types of service, can be helpful, especially if one stays for a while to chat.
Other suggestions include:
- Getting into a book club.
- Going to the movies.
- Getting into a team sport, gardening.
- Playing board games.
- Taking up a new hobby.
- Getting into a team sport.
- Taking classes.
Talking to a friend or calling people more often can help. You can get a pet or volunteer to help a friend or neighbor with their pet. Also, writing a letter or postcard to someone you know will often make you feel better. Other ideas include talking to a stranger when shopping or elsewhere or joining an online group of like-minded people.
It is extremely important that you practice self-kindness. Don’t blame yourself for your current situation. Become aware of what you are telling yourself, and if it is harmful, change your self-talk. Also, it is important to stop focusing on yourself so much and instead focus on what you can give to others.
If, despite trying these suggestions, you are still having problems with loneliness, you may want to consider counseling or hypnotherapy. Often, there is a connection between self-esteem and loneliness. If one has low self-esteem, it is more difficult to reach out to others. People suffering with low self-esteem are less willing to take healthy risks.
Seeing a hypnotherapist can be very helpful for people with self-esteem issues. Hypnosis is also very helpful for a wide array of issues, such as anxiety, sleep difficulty, dealing with stress, headaches, and many other problems.
To learn more about hypnotherapy, please call Phil Rosenbaum at 248-688-6469. Be kind to yourself and take the necessary steps to improve your life.
