>> WELCOME BACK. A GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICANS SAY THEY FEEL ALONE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG
AMERICANS THIS WEEK IS
LONELINESS AWARENESS WEEK IN
MANY OF US MAY NOT REALIZE
THAT FEELING OF SOCIAL
ISOLATION DEEPLY IMPACT PEOPLE
AROUND US IN 2020 79% OF
ADULTS UNDER AGE 30 SAY THEY
ARE LONELY. YOUNG ADULTS ARE
TWICE AS LIKELY TO FEEL LONELY
AS OTHER ADULTS NOW ACROSS ALL
AGES, 17%, OF U.S. ADULTS SAY
THEY FELL LONELINESS. A LOT OF
THE DAY. THIS MEANS 44 MILLION
AMERICANS, ONE IN 10 OF OUR
FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, CO-WORKERS
FEEL SO LONELY FOR ONE FAMILY.
LONELINESS ISN’T JUST A
FEELING CINDY AND AND JORDAN
LOST THEIR TEENAGE DAUGHTER TO
LONELINESS. WHILE ADDICTION
MIGHT HAVE BEEN LABELED
BECAUSE IT WAS DEEPLY ROOTED
IN HER CORE STRUGGLE, CHRONIC
LONELINESS, CHRONIC LONELINESS
IS A SILENT KILLER, BUT NOT
FOR LONG. IT IS SUCH A SERIOUS
PROBLEM THAT THE SURGEON
GENERAL JUST DECLARED
LONELINESS, A PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISIS WITH THE FACTS THAT CAN
BE AS HARMFUL TO OUR HEALTH.
JUST GET THIS SMOKING A PACK A
DAY AND AFTER LOSING DAUGHTER,
CINDY AND JORDAN MADE IT THEIR
LIFE’S MISSION TO HELP OTHERS
AND TOGETHER THEY FUNDED PIX
HEALTH TO HELP PEOPLE FIGHT
LONELINESS. SO CITY JOINS US
TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
APPRECIATE ABSOLUTELY. SO
LONELINESS, AS WE JUST SAID,
HAS BEEN DECLARED A PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: WHAT CAN
PEOPLE DO TO NOT FEEL SO
LONELY TO PREVENT IT BEFORE IT
GETS TO THAT POINT?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU
KIND OF HIT ON IT. THERE’S
DEGREES OF LONELINESS. SO IF
YOU’RE FEELING LONELY, BUT YOU
KNOW, YOU YOU THINK THAT IF
YOU REACHED OUT WITH YOU,
ENGAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS,
MAYBE PICK UP A PHONE CALL SO
MUCH THAT WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL
BETTER THEN THAN THAT MEANS
YOU’RE ON LIKE ONE OF THE
LESSER DEGREES OF BLOWING US.
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU
NEED TO HEAR. YOU RE-ENGAGE
WITH COMMUNITY WITH THE PEOPLE
AROUND YOU WHO GOT THE AND
SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO TAKE
THAT INITIAL STEP. BUT ONCE
YOU DO, IT WILL HAVE A, YOU
KNOW, A BIG IMPACT ON THAT
FEELING OF LONELINESS. BUT IF
YOU’RE KIND OF IN THE MID TO
CHRONIC STAGE LIKE RILEY WAS
CUT, ENGAGING WITH YOUR FAMILY
AND FRIENDS ISN’T GOING TO
WORK. YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO
THE NEXT LEVEL. YOU’VE GOT TO
GET ENGAGED IN SOME KIND OF
THERAPY PROGRAM OR PEER
SUPPORT PROGRAM LIKE TICKS YOU
KNOW, YOU CAN CALL YOUR HEALTH
INSURANCE COMPANY. YOU CAN
CALL YOUR DOCTOR AND SAY, HEY,
I’M FEELING SO LONELY THAT I
DON’T THINK MY UNDERSTANDS AND
CAN HELP ME. WHAT WHAT CAN I
DO?
>> I WANT TO TAKE A DEEPER
DIVE INTO THAT. SO HOW DO WE
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN,
YOU KNOW, THOSE NORMAL
FEELINGS OF LONELINESS THAT
AFFECTS SO MANY OF US. IT
ACTUALLY BEING SOMETHING MUCH
MORE SERIOUS WHEN WE KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE
PANDEMIC, THERE’S OBVIOUSLY
BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH HERE.
BUT THE DO YOU KNOW? THE
DIFFERENCE IS THE BRAIN
ACTUALLY STARTS TO REWIRE WHEN
YOU’RE IN A STATE OF CHRONIC
LONELINESS FOR A PERIOD OF
TIME. AND YOU START TO BELIEVE
THAT NO ONE CAN HELP YOU, NOT
YOUR FAMILY. NOT YOUR DOCTOR.
NOT YOUR MEDICINE KNOW WHEN
IT’S HOPELESS. IN OTHER WORDS,
YOU FEEL LONELY. YOUR PLIGHT.
YOU REALLY SAY THAT. THAT’S
HOW BRADLEY FELT. SHE JUST
REALLY BELIEVED EVEN THOUGH
SHE HAD A WORKING FAMILY
AROUND OR NO ONE COULD HELP,
THAT’S WHEN YOU KNOW, IT’S
SEVERE. THAT’S WHEN YOU
UNDERSTAND. WAIT A SECOND. I
ACTUALLY NEED SOME KIND YOU
KNOW, SARAH INTERVENTION HERE
BECAUSE THERE’S NO WAY TO MOVE
THROUGH THAT ON YOUR OWN. I
CALL IT A STEP MUCH. YOU
LITERALLY CAN’T GET YOURSELF
OUT.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED HER
NAME A MINUTE AGO, RILEY. SO
HOW DOES HER LIFE’S INSPIRE
YOU AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO?
>> WELL, I MEAN, CLEARLY.
>> HIT.
>> THIS JUST MEANS SO MUCH TO
ME AND MY FAMILY. YOU KNOW, WE
CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THIS
WAS LIKE YOU SAID AT THE ROOT
CAUSE OF WHAT YOU KNOW KILLING
HER. EACH IF EVERY DAY, YOU
KNOW, OUR ORGANIZATION. HUGH
1000 PHONE CALLS A DAY EVERY
DAY. I KNOW THAT WE ARE
STOPPING SOMEONE FROM FEELING
THE WAY RILEY DID IN STOPPING
IT LEAST ONE FAMILY FROM
HAVING TO GO THROUGH WHAT
WE’VE BEEN THROUGH. SO, YOU
KNOW THAT THAT MORE OF A
MOTIVATOR. NEED TO GET UP
EVERY DAY.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ABSOLUTELY.
WE LIVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS. SO
VERY QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, THIS
LAST WEEK YOU LAUNCH THE FIRST
DOUBLE EVER NATIONAL
LONELINESS. HELPLINE IS THIS
HELPLINE NEEDED PERMANENTLY.
AND WHAT’S BEEN THE RESPONSE?
>> YEAH, I I REALLY DO. I MEAN
THAT THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN
PROFOUND. LOTS AND LOTS AND
LOTS OF YOUNG FOLKS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE 12:00AM TO
05:00AM. WE ARE OUT SEEKING
SOME KIND OF FUNDING TO KEEP
THIS GOING IS NOT EVERYONE
NEEDS TO GO STRAIGHT TO
CRISIS. SOMETIMES THEY JUST
NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN. A
COMPANION.
>> CINDY JORDAN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS