Loneliness has been found to significantly affect ones mental and physical health both in the short and long term.
Three major findings include:
1.Loneliness adversely affects how one behaves and it increases the resistance of blood flow through the cardiovascular system.
2.Loneliness is linked to higher cortisol levels in the morning; altered gene expression in immune cells, poor immune function, high blood pressure and increase in depression.
3.Loneliness leads to difficulty in obtaining deep sleep and it people are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at an early age.
Studies have found that lonely people over attend to negative social information and remember more negative events and fewer positive events. This leads to more negative expectations of interacting with others. Therefore potential interventions are aimed at enhancing social support by increasing opportunities for social interaction; changing maladaptive thinking and improving social skills.
By using meta-analysis of 50 loneliness interventions, researchers have found that intervention aimed at changing maladaptive thinking patterns was more effective compared to the other interventions.
Loneliness takes a toll on both physical and mental health and through breaking the negative cycle of maladaptive thinking one can overcome loneliness and enjoy the many health benefits of being socially connected to others.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/09/09/can-loneliness-kill-you/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-success/201010/the-cureloneliness
