Loneliness Is Bad For Your Health
8 years ago Danielle Murray
This article by Jed Magen, associate professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University, was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Imagine a 65-year-old woman who sees her physician frequently for a variety of aches and pains. She might complain of back pain on one visit, headaches another time, and feeling weak on the next. Each time, her physician does a physical exam and runs the appropriate tests, without finding anything to account for her symptoms. Each time, she leaves the office feeling frustrated that "nothing can be done" for what ails her.
However, if we looked more closely, we'd find out that this patient lost her husband five years earlier and has been living alone since. Her three children all live in other states. Although she dotes on her grandchildren, she sees them only about once a year. She has a few friends that she only sees occasionally. If asked, she would probably tell you that, yes, she is lonely.
This is a common pictu..