Loneliness

Loneliness has been linked to many physical and mental health problems.

Loneliness has been linked to many physical and mental health problems. See also: Atheism and health

According to Livescience.com:

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Loneliness can send a person down a path toward bad health, and even more intense loneliness, studies have shown. But while some have assumed the culprit was a dearth of others to remind a person to take care of himself or herself, new research suggests there's a direct biological link between being lonely and ill health. Loneliness can set into a motion a barrage of negative impacts inside the human body... John Cacioppo, a University of Chicago social psychologist who studies the biological effects of loneliness, ...found, for instance, loneliness is tied to hardening of the arteries (which leads to high blood pressure), inflammation in the body, and even problems with learning and memory. Even fruit flies that are isolated have worse health and die sooner than those that interact with others, showing that social engagement may be hard-wired, Cacioppo said... In addition, loneliness raises levels of the circulating stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure, with one study showing that social isolation can push blood pressure up into the danger zone for heart attacks and strokes.

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Loneliness and drug addiction

See also: Addiction

Addiction is often associated with loneliness or a lack of connection to others, which was illustrated in two experiments. In the first it was found that a rat placed in a cage with normal water and drugged water (usually cocaine or heroin) would become obsessed with the drugged water. Professor Bruce Alexander, however, tried placing many rats in idyllic conditions with many other rats and, when given a choice of water, these rats would mostly choose the normal water. This showed that addiction in more related to the bonds around use rather than the substance itself. Thus loneliness coping is necessary for addiction recovery, and the path out of unhealthy bonds is to form healthy ones.

We must forget about ourselves and serve others, watch over others as a shepherd watches over sheep. Loneliness is caused in part by thinking only of ourselves.

Atheism and loneliness

See also: Atheism and loneliness and Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence and Atheism and drug addiction

According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is common among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also connected to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and fertility rates). See also: Atheism and loneliness and Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence

Compared to religious cultures where an extended family and a sense of community often exists, secular countries are often lonelier societies. In addition, numerous studies and other data indicate that atheists often have lower emotional intelligence and lower social skills (see: Atheism and emotional intelligence and Atheism and social skills). The atheist activist Seth Andrews candidly admitted: "Religion does community and activism and it does it really well."

According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is common among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also connected to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and fertility rates).

See also: Atheism and loneliness

See also

• Friendship