the rise of lonliness

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned about the growing problem of loneliness for years. Even before the pandemic separated us from our loved ones, Dr. Murthy viewed our growing sense of isolation as a grave public health threat — on par with smoking or substance abuse. It's been suggested that a half pack of cigarettes a day is not as bad as lonliness. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact. Social isolation is a lack of social connections. Social isolation can lead to loneliness in some people, while others can feel lonely without being socially isolated. I'm told that a person who feels socially isolated or incredibly lonely may have a hard time reaching out for help. They may lack confidence or can’t think as clearly as they might.

I'm thinking that lock down might have started the cycle, of lonliness, where you feel isolated, (because you were) and it leads to feeling alone, and lonely. This leads to the idea that people need to recognize the disconnection from one another as one of the most important foundational issues we are dealing with in society today. I have a wife, and she is my strength, but I can see the spectre of lonliness looming large, as we grow older. Should she pass before me, I know that I would have a moment of severe depression, followed by a feeling of 'aloneness' beyond any I've felt in half a century. (the length of my marriage)

I already feel the 'social isolation' of not having a 'circle of friends' anymore, and sometimes I can feel as if my entire world has shrunk to me, with my wife looking on. That's not a pleasant outlook, but it is better than if she were gone.