Dr. Henry Venter's Blog

The year 2009 was marked by the frantic efforts of healthcare to combat the H1N1 pandemic (many disagree that it is really a pandemic, but that’s another topic). A mad dash took place (and billions of dollars spent) to create an antivirus. There is, however, a condition that is more dangerous than the H1N1 virus – LONELINESS. Research shows it is indeed already a pandemic (meaning it has already spread across the world).

Research published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that lonely people are not only socially isolated, but they tend to develop a negative belief towards everyone and anyone, thereby exacerbating their loneliness. They simply begin to view the whole world as negative. The problem is therefore not merely loneliness, but a negative mindset that slowly cuts one from anything that’s positive. And it’s not healthy – loneliness has been linked to various psychological and physical illnesses. Depression, colds, and flu’s are more prominent among lonely people.

We can each help one another to repair and build our social networks – it’s not only healthy for the lonely person, it’s healthy for all of us. Let’s make this a year to reach out to someone that lost trust in society, someone that does not expect friendliness from anyone, someone caught up in a pattern of social isolation. We all see them around us. Their cure is YOU. We are created and designed to be social – and to take care of one another.

The amazing fact is that the cure for loneliness is not an expensive antivirus – it’s simply a kind act on our part to reach out to someone that is drifting on their own. Call that person, send an email, pop a text, stop at their desk and say hello – change their world…and change yours.

Make 2010 the year to break loneliness.

Read more at my homepage – www.ginomaicc.com

My best towards your health and happiness

Dr. Henry