The Biology of Loneliness

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Key takeaways

Transcript

Episode notes

Loneliness is a state of threat and a state of stress, which can lead to counterproductive behaviors.
Loneliness can chip away at selfesteem, and people may start to believe that the reason they're lonely is because they're not likable or not lovable.
It can be difficult to break out of a spiral of loneliness, but understanding the mechanisms can help.

When you go to a medical appointment, your doctor may ask you several questions. Do you smoke? Have you been getting exercise? Are you sleeping? But rarely do they ask: are you lonely? U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy believes we are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness. This week, we revisit our 2020 conversation with Murthy about the importance of human connection to our physical and mental health, and how we can all strengthen our social ties.

A note that this week's episode includes a discussion of suicide. If you're experiencing suicidal crisis or emotional distress and are based in the U.S., you can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.

Did you catch last week's episode in this series, about the power of tiny interactions? You can find it here. And if you like our work, please consider a financial contribution to help us make many more episodes like this one.