We are born to be alone
Loneliness is about real feelings. Loneliness sometimes goes hand in hand with despair.
So it's no surprise that there's a real loneliness epidemic going around. Even that can be deadly.
Research shows, "lonely people are up to 32 percent more likely to die early than their more connected counterparts," writes columnist Sonya Collins for WebMD.
Social isolation isn't just a problem for parents or those who stay at home.
New research shows young adults aged 18 to 22 are the loneliest generation. Children are known to misbehave because they are lonely.
"Lack of social connection has a significant effect comparable to other leading indicators of early death risk," says Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University.
Feeling alone, he says, falls into the category of smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity in terms of how it affects your health.