Life style changes: The loneliness epidemic.
The recent letter from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the need for healing the sense of social connection and community is vital information. For the full article visit the department of human health and services at www.hhs.gov or click here .
Sometimes the Biohack is not a Drug, Food or supplement, it is social. Han Soye wrote an impactful article on addiction using rats as the test subject. To clarify, addiction here is anything that we use to avoid our loneliness or difficult emotions.
The study concluded that rats have social belonging, that is free of imposed social hierarchy and plenty of spontaneous interactions show less addictive behaviors. When given the opportunity to abuse water dosed with heroine they actually chose to drink the heroine free water. This is comparison to a rat in isolation given the same choice. This shows that sometimes the biohack is not a drug, food or supplement, it is social.
Chronic loneliness may be equal to smoking 15 cigarettes per day. So you don’t smoke, cause you know it’s unhealthy, but how does your relationship to work-life balance perpetuate unintentional loneliness?
It has been shown that high achievers have higher rates of suicide with the entrepreneurial culture. Striving to be on top can sometimes present as “its lonely at the top” resulting in feelings of despair. The same can be said for overly competitive work place. This shows that even if you’re health conscious, eating right, avoiding cigarette smoking, excess alcohol etc your efforts may be futile. By neglecting to prioritize healthy social relationships whether work or professional, your other efforts may be cancelling out.
It is also possible that connection primarily through technology results in excessive dopamine hits which replaces Oxytocin. A handshake, pat on the back, or something as small as eye contact can build up the bonding hormone Oxytocin.
Dr. Wilcox recommends that you collaborate with a mental health specialist to help you access and apply life style changes to the 3 Vital Components of Social Connection; Structure, Function and Quality.
Structure- Household size, social circle size (diversity of friends ie. race, gender and socioeconomic status is important to consider), and Partnership status.
Functional- Emotional depth of the fore-mentioned structures, life and/or career mentorship, access to crisis support.
Quality- Relationship satisfaction. Are they nourishing or depleting. Is social inclusion or social neglect present in daily life.
Sources
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). New Surgeon General Advisory Raises Alarm about the Devastating Impact of the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States. HHS.gov. Published May 3, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html