Isolation is a root cause of disease
Social isolation is a major public health concern which causes both mental and physical disease.
-Dr Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General
In a world with over 8 billion people, it’s ironic that loneliness and isolation are becoming more common, and now considered a cause of disease. In fact, loneliness is now the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of its impact on our health and wellbeing. How did we get here?
Over a fifth of Australians report feeling lonely, and the population experiencing the highest rise of isolation are young people between 15 and 24 years old. Research shows that loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, weak immune health, malnutrition, depression and anxiety, dementia, suicide and death - maybe people aren’t as bad as most people think! We also live in increasingly isolated households, with one quarter of people living alone (compared to one fifth over a decade ago); women, young people and older people over 65 are more likely to live alone. Nuclear families and more working parents mean that even babies and young children are more isolated than ever before, which affects their cognitive and emotional development.
From the Ayurvedic perspective, loneliness and social isolation can have two harmful effects: increasing vata dosha and reducing ojas. The former is when the air and space elements become high and oversensitised; think the of the idea of ‘needing space’ as an example. Too much space and time spent in the head creates a sense of groundlessness and a lack of meaningful connection. This creates anxiety and restlessness, which reduce the wellspring of health know as Ojas which is where we draw a sense of stability, resilience and contentment from, as well as longevity. Being isolated reduces social and cognitive skills, which is why an excess of technology and a lack of healthy relationships makes us more lonely, creating a vicious cycle of ill health. This is a key reason why mental health is in decline and more people are on medication than ever before.
Social health is now a key indicator of health.
In a recent podcast episode, Dr Vivek shared his views gathered from data on health and medical research in the US, as well as his personal experiences. Despite enjoying what he refers to as the triad of success; high achieving career, power and fame, he found himself feeling increasingly lonely, isolated and discontented. During a high school reunion, he realised that he had sacrificed his personal relationships for the sake of academic and career success, and decided to make a change. He had come from a humble background, but his family found meaning and value in supporting their community; he decided to do the same. He advocates for the triad of fulfilment: relationships, purpose and service.
Here are four key suggestions he made to improve social health in everyday life:
Make time to connect with family and friends, even if it’s a 10 minute phone call.
Prioritise having meals together whenever possible.
Invite people over even if the house is messy or the meals are simple.
Find purpose, meaning and value in community and relationships rather than just personal success.
A mindset that is individualistic is often accompanied by stress, anxiety and loneliness, because happiness cannot come from just serving ourselves. A narcissistic society that is driven to fulfilling individual wants without considering the collective will eventually hurt itself, because we are all connected. This is part of why climate change has become what it is today - from excess individual consumption. Beyond our basic needs, our value and purpose can only be found in how we are in relationship to others. If success is tied purely to the material and monetary, we sacrifice the process for the outcome in our health and wellbeing. This is the classic example: spending all our time studying hard and then working long hours while sacrificing relationships, personal interests and community connections until we ‘succeed’.. The old story of Scrooge McDuck comes to mind; all alone with his pot of gold for company.
Social health has so many personal benefits, but it could also be part of how we come together and address the bigger issues of humanity. Make it a point to reach out and connect with others, volunteer in your community and find simple ways to bring meaningful relationships into your life. Not all superheroes wear capes.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
