Girl Behind the Fence: Loneliness

Book excerpt: Over 42 million adults struggle with chronic loneliness, if you are one of them, this book will offer you some instant relief! As of 2017, approximately 42.6 million adults over age 45 struggle with feelings of chronic loneliness. Twenty-five percent of the population lives alone, and over 50% of the population is unmarried. Results from a recent study of 300,000 participants prove that individuals with weak or non-existent social connections actually increase their risk of early death by up to 50%. As a result of these shocking statistics, more social outreach programs have been put in place to help conquer this nearly-imminent worldwide loneliness epidemic. Since life began, we have had a strong sense of belonging. Whether to a small family or a large community group, this fundamental need powerfully affects our mental and physical health. However, even if we interact with co-workers all day, surround ourselves with a large family, and are in a decades-long marriage, we can still feel very alone. With the click of a button or the help of social media, within seconds we are provided with more opportunities than ever before; among these opportunities are thousands of ways to connect to fellow human beings. Logically we know that reaching out for help is key in combatting this deep and pervasive feeling, yet we don't do it. Why? Typically, we dislike admitting to ourselves and others that we feel lonely for fear we may appear unlikeable and vulnerable. Moreover, we have been conditioned as a society to not show our feelings. Instead, we try to ignore our uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, hoping they will go away on their own. They usually don't. Consequently, we feel anxious and rejected as if a fence separates us from the popular crowd, thereby allowing us to secretly obsess over our perceived defects. Despite all of us having an innate need to connect with our fellow humans, the degree of that need varies. For example, you may feel lonely when not around other people. On the other hand, I may feel completely exhausted when I am. Yet, despite our individual differences, our DNA strands are programmed to satisfy our need for belonging, whatever our unique need is. Perhaps you feel that you are not really lonely, just socially selective. Find out via the included questionnaire. Then, to help you combat loneliness, the personal insights from these authors will help provide you with hope and inspiration; the tools they used to guide themselves out of the emotional quicksand and just may be the life jacket you've been searching for. Whether down the street or across the world, you are truly never alone because also inside of this book, are the ways in which you can reach out to each author individually for continued support.