Loneliness is the new epidemic of society today.
Loneliness is particularly common in older adults, whose children have grown up
and left the nest and are busy with their lives.
The amygdala in the brain plays a key role in regulating
emotions and emotional responses. The dorsal posterior insula
regulates perception of pain; it becomes more active when we are lonely, so
anything that happens to socially isolated people is more painful.
Cortisol is the fight or flight hormone. Oxytocin along
with serotonin and dopamine constitute the happy hormones. Increase in
dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin increase the positive emotions in the body.
Brain derived neurotrophic factor is another chemical,
which helps the brain to remain plastic, or flexible, so that we can continue
to hold on to past memories and create new ones. This chemical is present
in low amounts in socially isolated people.
Loneliness is harmful socially; it is also bad for
health, a fact which has been corroborated in studies. Loneliness is a
strong predictor of heart disease, stroke or premature death.
A new article published April 29, 2019 in the Canadian
Medical Association Journal has addressed the effect of loneliness on older
patients. As per the article, loneliness is:
·
an emotional state of
perceived isolation; it is not a mental disorder
·
common in older adults and
linked to declines in health
·
as harmful as other risk
factors for death, such as obesity and smoking
·
a significant predictor of
health care usage
·
possibly alleviated by
"social prescribing" to connect lonely adults with community supports
and social networks
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
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