Loneliness and social isolation may pose a greater public hazard than people may realize.
The American Psychological Association states that about 42.6 million adults who are over
the age of 45 in the United States are estimated to be suffering from mental health issues
like chronic loneliness after they conducted a loneliness study.
In addition, another study has surfaced that suggests that being lonely is worse than smoking
15 cigarettes a day.
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The study was conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University in 2015.
In order to prove their hypothesis that being lonely is just as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes
a day, the researchers analyzed data from different health studies.
All the studies included more than 3 million participants that included data from social
isolation, loneliness, and living alone.
The lead author of the study, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, explains that “the result of this study
is comparable to obesity; something that public health takes very seriously.”
She adds that people need to start taking social relationships and their mental health
more seriously.
Holt-Lunstad adds that the results from her 2015 study are “Comparable to the risk of
smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
It exceeds the risk of alcohol consumption, it exceeds the risk of physical inactivity,
obesity, and it exceeds the risk of air pollution.”
The study also found that increased social connection was linked to 50% reduced risk
of premature death.
A 2016 Census found that one-person households accounted for more than 28% of all households.
Since 2001, the number of couples that have children has been falling and only make up
26.5% of all households, according to City News.
What To Do About Chronic Loneliness: Holt-Lunstad believes that part of the reason why loneliness
and isolation have not been in the spotlight is that it is a vague term, according to CBC
News.
Dr. Nasreen Khatri, a clinical psychologist and gerontologist at the Rotman Institute
at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto explains that being around others is the easiest way
to try and deal with isolation and loneliness is to be around others.
Dr. Khatri adds that the presence of others can alter a person’s cortisol levels and
stress hormone levels.
It can also help improve a person’s mental health.
Social connections protect people and help maintain exercise and healthy eating routines.
According to Dr. Oren Amitay, a Toronto, one of the ways people can deal with chronic loneliness
and improve their mental health is to try and keep themselves busy with a hobby or project
which gives them purpose.
Dr. Amitay adds that for seniors who are isolated because of lack of mobility, a pet can help.
Now that you know about the health risks associated with being sad and lonely, what about smoking
cigarettes and addiction to nicotine?
When people provide examples of addiction, one of the things to be referenced is smoking.
It is one of the most addictive and harmful habits that you could develop.
How addictive you ask?
Well for starters, it is more addictive than heroin or cocaine, the side-effects can often
lead to death and despite people knowing all of this, they still smoke.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes are responsible
for over 480,000 deaths per year in the United States.
What is even more shocking is that 41,000 of those deaths are related to secondhand
smoke.
They also mention that about 16 million Americans are living with a disease that was caused
by smoking.
Here are some more health risks associated with smoking.
Smoking Cigarettes and Heart Disease: You might think that casual smoking won’t harm
your body, but even those who don’t smoke fewer than 5 cigarettes a day can develop
early cardiovascular disease symptoms.
Smoking cigarettes can also increase your blood pressure because it thickens or narrows
your blood vessels, which make your heart beat faster.
Smoking and Respiratory Disease: Did you know that if you are suffering from asthma and
you take up smoking, it can trigger an asthma attack or even make it worse?
If you have ever had an asthma attack, you know it is not pleasant.
Also, smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from a lung disease than those who
don’t smoke.
Cancer: The chemicals that are in a cigarette have the ability to cause cancer anywhere
in your body.
This includes your bladder, blood, stomach, pancreas, kidneys, liver, cervix and many
other parts of the body.
Not only does your risk of developing this disease increase, but so do your chances of
dying from it.
Stroke: Have you ever heard of a stroke?
If you haven’t, a stroke is when there is poor blood flow to the brain, which results
in your cells becoming dead.
When you smoke, you increase your chances of having a stroke by 2.
It also increases the chances of males and females developing cancer by 25%.
Other Health Risks: Not only does smoking cause cancer, but it also hurts your body
and life in many other ways as well.
If you like having all your teeth, you might want to quit smoking.
The chemicals can cause gum disease and ruin the enamel that protects the teeth, this can
result in tooth loss.
Older women who smoke have weaker bones than older women who do not smoke.
Those who smoke increase their chances of developing diabetes by 30-40 percent!
Smoking can even damage a man’s sperm which can result in birth defects, miscarriages,
and even reduced fertility.
Quitting Smoking: The second you decide to drop this bad nicotine habit is the second
you start cutting your cardiovascular disease risk.
After a year of quitting smoking, your risk of a heart attack reduces dramatically.
Within 2-5 years of quitting smoking, your risk of having a stroke is actually reduced
to the same amount a non-smoker would have.
So ditch that nicotine, folks!
Lung Cleansing remedy: Once you have decided to quit smoking, then try out this lung cleansing
remedy.
It contains turmeric, onions, and ginger.
The ingredient that provides the most benefits is turmeric.
It has powerful anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral properties that the body can
benefit from.
It also contains rich vitamins and minerals.
Not to be outdone though, onions also have strong anticancer and antibacterial properties,
and ginger can detoxify the body.
What are some ways you kick bad habits?
And what do you do to make yourself feel better when you’re feeling sad and lonely?
Let us know in the comments section below!