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Home / MCNTalk / The Risks of Social Isolation

January 10, 2017

The Risks of Social Isolation

Social isolation is a growing concern – since the 1980s, the percentage of American adults who say they are lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent. New research suggests that social separation is unhealthy and can have dire physical, mental, and emotional consequences. Those with less social connection have disrupted sleep patterns, altered immune systems, more inflammation, and higher levels of stress hormones. New studies have also shown that the risk of heart disease is increased by 29 percent, the risk of stroke by 32 percent, and the risk of dying in the next 7 years is also increased by 30 percent.

An article in The New York Times looks at social isolation saying the evidence is clear, but what to do about it is less obvious. One idea is structured programs, some of which are beginning to arise like the program linkAges, described as a cross-generational service exchange. Dr. Paul Tang of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation started this program, “In America, you almost need an excuse for knocking on a neighbor’s door,” Dr. Tang told The New York Times. “We want to break down those barriers.” In our “hyper-connected digital age” where it is becoming easier to drift apart, programs like Dr. Tang’s are even more important. From the article:

Human connection lies at the heart of human well-being. It’s up to all of us — doctors, patients, neighborhoods and communities — to maintain bonds where they’re fading, and create ones where they haven’t existed.

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  1. David Hanscom says

    January 10, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    Social isolation is a problem in over 80% of my patients in chronic pain. I have put on a workshop for three years at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. It is a structured program intended to address this factor. We have had surprising successes quickly. It is based on awareness, hope, forgiveness and play. We are holding a shorter on this year with Bernie Siegel, author of “Love, Medicine and Miracles”. It will be held on July 7-9th, 2017. It will be announced soon on my website, http://www.backincontrol.com. David Hanscom, MD, author of “Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain”.

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