Loneliness: friend or foe?

Don't Go There

In a survey published by the AARP in 2010, slightly more than one out of three adults aged 45 and over reported feeling chronically lonely. In 2017, the Office for National Statistics found that young people aged 16-24 experienced feelings of loneliness more often than any other age group. Major life transitions, personal tragedies, serious illness and job loss usually cause feelings of loneliness and isolation. Moreover, perpetual feelings of loneliness are often the consequence of early emotional neglect. Our desire to belong and to feel known and connected is a natural and normal biological yearning. However, the need is often frustrated and we are left feeling rejected and unloved. Join us as we consider the painful feeling of loneliness and discuss how the experience of isolation may have something to teach us.