Loneliness Kills, Connect To Live

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[/col][/row]Humans are not made to be lonely beings. Throughout history people have always lived together in communal settings as living together was essential to their survival: people would have power to defend themselves against environmental catastrophes and natural predatory enemies. 

 

The advancement of civilization was only possible, in large part, due to the fact that humans stayed together and created a structured society based on rules, principals, common kinship and, most importantly, formed deep connections with others while living together. This way of life became the norm and one can say it is imprinted in our DNA. When something is part of our structure, going against it would cause many problems. The same way that not breathing or eating can kill us, being lonely for a long time can destroy us as well.

When we look at our way of life today, we see how prevalent isolation has become. More and more people are setting their private boundaries and disconnecting from each other. The increasing population rate of seniors who live alone correlates directly with increased rate of depression. A lonely and depressed person cannot enjoy life and may not even want to live anymore. That is why the rate of suicide among male seniors who live alone in senior homes is very high, higher than any other group in society. 

 

Being lonely, depressed and disconnected would leave no room for self-care. This is a downhill spiral that leads to darker days over time. This is one of our modern age silent epidemics that kills people in high numbers but we don’t pay enough attention to it.

 

We need to advocate the culture of connection and re-connection. People need to be told that just by being open to seeing new people, they can change their lives. Many would be surprised to see how many people like them are out there and are suffering from the same conditions. Surprisingly, they may feel empowered by giving encouragement to others. Feeling good through doing good to others is also imprinted in our genes. All it take is to connect to each other. 

Human connection is timeless and powerful.

 

We need to promote this culture by using the means available to us. One of the best ways of the present time is social media. Lets use the internet and social media to connect with others. However, we should not forget the value of direct human contact. We should not lose sight of the power of a real human to human eye contact. A real handshake and a soft tap on shoulder shows real connection. Human touch is very powerful. It send signals to brain connected to sensory perceptions and emotions. Human connection brings us out of loneliness and allows us to live.

 

Research shows that loneliness and depression can make the outcome of many diseases worse. A complete healing, health and happiness is not possible in loneliness. CONNECT TO LIVE.

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