Physiological Effects of Loneliness
Joshua Said
Spring 2021
In this day and age, the skyrocketing rates of loneliness has reached near pandemic levels. Although loneliness is common, it can lead to major health issues and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. We know that it is an issue that many people face, but the rates of mental dissatisfaction and solitude have become too large to discount, as they affect 40 million US adults (18 or older) every year. Ironically, the rise of social media has aided in the creation of an environment of loneliness, despite its ability to connect people online. According to CNBC data, seven out of 10, or 71%, of heavy social media users reported feelings of loneliness. Why would this be? What are the consequences of isolation? This article discusses the effects of loneliness on the body as well as some of its root causes and how to deal with the issue.
The Effects of Loneliness on the Body
Humans are social creatures that require meaningful interactions. A lack of these interactions, even if one is part of large social circles, induces a stress response. Stress, while useful when being chased by a bear, can unfortunately be very harmful when in excess in the long-term. These issues can be reduced in terms of direct and indirect harm towards one’s physical wellbeing.
First, constant activation of the body’s stress signals activate an immune response that significantly decreases the number of Natural Killer Cells in the body (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1984a). These Natural Killer Cells serve as a mechanism to determine whether cells are infected and consequently eliminate them. When the body is deficient of these Natural Killer cells, the risk of becoming sick elevates. This is manageable for small periods of time; however, when stress is induced constantly, the result is a prolonged absence of Natural Killer cells. Decreasing one of the key components of the immune system ultimately leads to a greater prevalence of unwanted physiological effects.
Another way that stress is connected to illness is through cytokines. Cytokines are involved in the transmittance of a signal throughout the body which prepares it to fight infection. Loneliness-induced stress hinders the production of cytokines (Marucha et al., 1998). Such disturbances mean the body cannot fight against germs as easily and thus lead to a greater likelihood of illness, as well.
There are also indirect effects of loneliness. For instance, chronic social isolation can often lead to depression, which may cause one to turn to drug use and alcohol as coping methods. These both provide temporary satisfaction that usually ends in regret. A study conducted by the Journal of Aging and Health shows that a reported 45% of adults that were diagnosed with drug/alcohol abuse reported feeling lonely. Many people will look to these alternatives to alleviate the symptoms they suffer as a result of loneliness and once they build a tolerance, they search for more and more of the drug to satisfy themselves. Evidently, this can lead to excessive alcohol intake and potentially a transition to other drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, in order to ignore the feeling of loneliness. This is clearly detrimental to the body and causes many unfortunate drug/alcohol-related health outcomes, which carry with them the possibilities of overdosing or undergoing multisystem organ failure. Addiction itself is extremely difficult to deal with, especially in later stages after many years of abusing stronger substances. The effects on the brain are often irreversible and can thus create a never ending spiral of havoc.
In addition, loneliness and depression tend to result in sleeping difficulties. This results in a host of issues, since sleep is vital in helping the body maintain a solid homeostatic range of all of its essential processes. Without sleep, our body and brain don’t get an opportunity to recover, and this also increases our levels of cortisol (stress hormone). Once again, this is another problematic cycle in which the body doesn’t get what it needs to function, and the situation is simply worsening. Poor sleep further weakens the immune system, feeding into the direct effects of loneliness, and leaving the body vulnerable to breaking down, as seen in figure one.
Figure 1. Some key direct and indirect effects of loneliness. Often interconnected, these issues wreak havoc on one’s health
Why Are We Lonely? What Can We Do About it?
As mentioned earlier, the rise of social media has led to an increase in the feeling of disconnection from society. This is because we spend most of our day viewing the highlights of other people’s lives, including those of people we've never even met before, and comparing our lives to theirs. We are reminded of the parties that we were not invited to and the vacations we can never enjoy. Therefore, a fear of missing out on the action envelopes us. Although some may have large social circles, there may still be a lingering sense of isolation because we are not seeing others face to face as much anymore, especially in today’s pandemic. Unfortunately, social media especially targets such feelings toward a younger audience, and thus, has created a new generation rife with poor mental and physical health. According to a survey conducted by BBC, more young adults experience frequent feelings of loneliness compared to their middle aged and older adult counterparts (Figure 2). Moreover, it is apparent that all age groups experience a significant degree of isolation further suggesting the importance of mental health in all communities and age ranges.
Figure 2. Younger people report feelings of loneliness in higher percentages than older age groups
In order to put a stop to this reality, it can be easy to assume that the solution is to remove social media. However, that is definitely not feasible, and it neglects to consider all the advantages that social media brings to the table. Instead, we must teach the average citizen to spend time off from social media and talk to others face to face (while being safe). We must encourage the use of exercise in order to help relieve stress and potentially form new relationships in sports or the gym. The time we spend scrolling through highlights of other people’s lives can be damaging to our own and must be regulated in order to ensure that we can enjoy our own highlights of life.
In addition, we must address those populations relatively unaffected by social media, such as geriatric patients and older people. While younger individuals may experience a more virtual isolation, older individuals may tend to experience physical isolation. For example, elderly in nursing homes/facilitated care facilities may feel neglect in their care because they do not see their family as much and are restricted to certain undesired activities. The elderly (depending on their condition) may not be allowed to walk around the facility or even eat sweets and drink. Furthermore, the elderly are watched all day and told when they should use the bathroom and go outside. This lack of independence creates the feeling of a bird trapped in a cage, disastrous for their mental and physical wellbeing.
In Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal, he describes a study conducted at the Chase Memorial Nursing Home that brought animals (100 parakeets, 4 dogs, 2 cats, colony of rabbits, and a flock of laying hens), a garden, and an after school program with children to an otherwise desolate nursing facility. They found that prescriptions, death rates, and associated costs decreased significantly. The doctor who innovated such changes attributes these results to “the fundamental human need to live” (Gawande 123)." Loneliness disrupts the human inherency to yearn qualities of freedom, life, and happiness. In order to make meaningful change in nursing facilities today, we must follow this example by creating positive environments with stimulating activities. Moreover, we must understand that by focusing only on physical health and neglecting mental wellbeing, we set up these individuals for disaster in their final years of life. Instead, we should relax rules pertaining to participation in social activities and create meaningful relationships that serve the geriatrics well.
In addition, we must also look at the elderly population that is not found in nursing homes. Although they are not in an explicitly isolated position, in the confines of a designated home being cared for by designated staff, they can still feel lonely as a result of not wanting to be a burden on the family and not fitting in. The same principles described by Gawande will apply to this situation. There must be a more inclusive environment for the elderly so that their stress levels decrease. This can be done via family activities, interactions with youth, and a silencing of other stressors. Pandemic or not, hiding behind a face mask is not the only source of isolation burdening our society. It can be seen in our siblings and peers, caught up in their phones, our parents, prioritizing late work nights over time with friends, and our grandparents, whether they be in their own apartments or in designated facilities. Addressing the underlying societal context of our "dog days" may be tough, but it is necessary to maintain a state of physical and psychological well-being. Perhaps it's time to reinvent an old saying and abide by its philosophy: a face-to-face conversation a day keeps the doctor away.
References
Amatenstein, S. (2019, November 15). Not so social media: How social media increases loneliness. Psycom. www.psycom.net/how-social-media-increases-loneliness/.
Coombs, Bertha (2020, January 23). Loneliness is on the rise and younger workers and social media users feel it most, Cigna survey finds. CNBC.
www.cnbc.com/2020/01/23/loneliness-is-rising-younger-workers-and-social-media-users-feel-it-most.html.
Gawande, A. (2018). Being Mortal. Mehta Publishing House.
Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2002, December 31). Loneliness and Pathways to Disease. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 17(1), 98-105.