I recently had Cancer and i can tell you loneliness is worse than Cancer i am so lonely and heartbroken its long story to low to write about it right now.
Sorry to hear this. A powerful reminder that one of the most important aspects of cancer treatment is the support that people need along with drugs, surgery etc.
This is fascinating. I recently lost my husband suddenly and unexpectedly. Before that happened I was going weekly to a ukulele group, my husband would often come with me. After my husband passed, I dug deep and decided that I HAD to go back to the group straight away. If I didn’t I knew I would never be able to get back. I also wanted to make to be with people that knew my husband. I’m 11 months into this life I wouldn’t wish on anyone. If I’d not had the people at that ukulele group in my life I honestly don’t think I would’ve made it past the first few weeks. I’ve met some wonderful people in the past 11 months some of them have become so ingrained in my life I consider them family now. Social Prescribing is exactly what it is. I hope anyone feeling lonely can pluck up the courage to join a group of something that interests you. If you need a suggestion, buy a ukulele!
Thank you for explaining the dangers of loneliness and sharing the storycof your son. I felt it too during covid and decelopped a drug addiction, from which I am sober now for the third year. All I can say the urge to relapse is the strongest when I feel the loneliest. When I am with people on the other hand, I don't even think about doing them.
Excellent content! I have been researching about loneliness in elderly and what can be done to alleviate the issue. Social prescription seems like an effective initiative. Interested to know more about it. Thanks for sharing this educational talk.
I’m in my late 50s. My birthday was a few days ago. I played myself a jazzy happy birthday song on the guitar. I have no family, no parents, no kids, no close friends, and no love. I’ve never even lived with a lover before. I'm no slouch either. I've earned my engineering degrees despite coming from an extremely poor background - and a dysfunctional family to boot. I bought a home in Silicon Valley and I'm an active musician. Yet, I spend every Christmas alone. If I were to disappear tomorrow only the bill collectors would notice.
Very interesting I am going blind and use long white cane I go out every morning early to walk I have made friends with lots of dog walkers I always say good morning to people Most reply , some don’t , probably the lonely ones
I've been so lonely I could cry but I don't think it would help getting worried feeling kind of invisible haven't drank in 2 yrs thought about starting back feels like that was my only friend
Social prescribing sounds like a powerful movement. I hope we see it's impact in our communities. Not sure what the note from TED is about. There's no medical advice, just a practical recommendations from a somebody working at the front line. There's certainly no bad science here.
This is brilliant Richard! Thank you for raising the issue of loneliness, we need to screen for this more, very powerful statistics! I didn’t know there was a TED X S Albans!
this is making me cry it resonates very much not sure if my recent skin issues were a result of the loneliness > inflammation but i have been stress eating i really wish i could cure myself of this problem it’s been a struggle for at least 6 years
well as if it was my problem... people form small groups with people they like...I don't belong anywhere because I'm younger, I have trauma from abusive parents and come from poverty so I don't do interesting vacations or hobbies that I could talk about with them, so that's why I'm quiet. I'd love to have friends there. But this workplace seems to be fishing for the perfect, social employees, not encouraging the imperfect ones to grow.
bless you for writing this -- It sounds to me that perhaps you know your own pain more than some do (although I guess some whom you see may also know theirs, secretly). This will surely mean you can be the friend that some others most need, as well as a person who will be highly regarded and welcomed by some others also who will be ready to make space for you as you keep your door open for them. Do you think that perhaps it is not everyone who really wants to be "entertained" swapping stories about expensive vacations and hobbies?
I really appreciate your honesty. For what it's worth, my advice would be not to worry about being "interesting" or having great stories (we've got enough of this superficial rubbish with people polishing their lives on social media!). As Barnabas has commented, it could be that you're in a position to really support others...and in turn to benefit from starting your own network. It could start with just one or two people at work. I'm willing to bet if you feel like this at work, then others do too. I hope that this is helpful.
Then Libya needs to watch those sanctions with Great Britain. They knew what happened when the G7 and G8 committees decided they wanted a piece of the proverbial pie . Oil sanctions and corporate profits went thru the roof. If Israel stops their nonsense with Libya than maybe the percentages will decrease
