We tried them all during the lockdown period and in unsuspected times they were already widespread among the elderly population, we are talking about the negative effects of loneliness. Social isolation is very bad for the human being, both in terms of physical and mental health. Many diseases are related to this condition such as those related to a lowering of cognitive function, anxiety, depression, discomfort, low self-esteem and sleep disturbances. The immune and cardiovascular systems are also affected.
A study conducted by an international team of the European LifeBrain consortium led by the University of Oslo has shown that some people who live in situations of continuous loneliness may have verbal memory problems , difficulty remembering certain words well.
Another study carried out by researchers from Barcelona whose results were published in Frontiers in Aging Neurosciences looked at some data from samples of elderly Swedish, German and a control group of Danish adolescents. Everyone was assessed the degree of loneliness in which they lived and how they perceived it, all of which drastically affected the verbal memory of the Swedes, unlike the Germans. Perhaps this can be explained because of cultural differences and each person’s perception of loneliness.
The Swedish sample, however, was the most affected between loneliness and memory decline, so much so that he presented a form of dementia. What was drawn from this study is that loneliness and memory decline are signs that can lead to dementia.
But loneliness is not just a decline in memory, but another research has shown that loneliness can cause cardiovascular problems , which shows that the heart is also affected by this situation. In fact, if you are alone you often eat badly, you vent your stress with smoke or alcohol and in all this obviously the heart suffers.
Obesity is also a sign closely related to loneliness and this condition can lead to depression, self-harm and even premature mortality.
Loneliness, today more than ever, is a risk factor for our health, for some time now it affects not only the elderly but also the younger ones. So having good human relationships is really good for our health. Feeling important in doing something we enjoy, having a good lifestyle, eating a healthy diet and exercising.
All of this makes us feel less alone and our health will also benefit. One thing to underline, in addition to interpersonal relationships which are very important, another thing to keep in mind is that you must first have a good relationship with yourself , love yourself and want the best for yourself, only in this way can you live a a peaceful and healthy life, with an excellent relationship also with others.
