It’s official: On Tuesday, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness as an epidemic in America.
Covid is so 2019. Loneliness is the new health concern.
“Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a statement.
This is not new for Murthy, who has spoken to the topic before. In September, he also called loneliness an epidemic during remarks to management students at Yale University.
“Given the significant health consequences of loneliness and isolation, we must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders,” Murthy said. “Together, we can build a country that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely, and more connected.”
“We expand circles of concern and advocacy by building relationships and getting to know people. That’s how we address deep inequities, pandemics, and poverty… We are talking fundamentally about the foundation of human society. It’s built on relationships, and that founding is eroding,” he said.
But Murthy is also talking about his own loneliness. In a column in the New York Times, he told the story of a patient who won the lottery and moved into a beautiful house in a gated community, only to be consumed with loneliness.
A patient of mine once shared with me a most unusual story. He had worked for years in the food industry with a modest salary and humble lifestyle. Then he won the lottery. Overnight, his life changed. He quit his job and moved into a large house in a gated community.
“Yet as he sat across from me, he sadly declared, ‘Winning the lottery was one of the worst things that ever happened to me.’ Wealthy but alone, this once vivacious, social man no longer knew his neighbors and had lost touch with his former co-workers. He soon developed high blood pressure and diabetes,” Murthy wrote.
“I thought about his story in 2017 when I found myself struggling with loneliness. My first stint as surgeon general had just ended. I was suddenly disconnected from the colleagues with whom I had spent most of my waking hours. It might not have been so bad had I not made a critical mistake: I had largely neglected my friendships during my tenure, convincing myself that I had to focus on work and I couldn’t do both,” he wrote in the New York Times.
“Even when I was physically with the people I loved, I wasn’t present — I was often checking the news and responding to messages in my inbox. After my job ended, I felt ashamed to reach out to friends I had ignored. I found myself increasingly lonely and isolated, and it felt as if I was the only one who felt that way. Loneliness — like depression, with which it can be associated — can chip away at your self-esteem and erode your sense of who you are. That’s what happened to me.”
Murthy, a doctor and vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, has served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
All true, and yet our govt and all over the world dictated isolation even when it didn’t make sense. So many stupid people.
Agreed. COVID is so 2020–not 2019, but never let a fact get in your way to own the libs. Nice work, SD.
Dr Vivek Murthy has definitely got a handle on our nations health problem and I am sure his solution is to give up all your money and possessions and move into a homeless encampment and be surrounded by likeminded individuals for companionship while sharing an abundance of mind altering drugs and alcohol. Food and shelter will be provided by all the nonprofits ensuring your health and well being. Money Homes jobs and especially “Family” are completely overrated and do not offer any form of happiness. Join the Happy Homeless Camps coming to a large democrat run utopia near you! (This ad is paid for by George Soros) under the diguise of Americans for Prosperity.
The key word in his story about his unhappy friend is he “WON” the lottery. He would have been fine if he had the gumption and desire to “Earn” it. After he won he moved into a gated democrat community with no friends? Duh! He may as well moved into the Whitehouse and threw rocks at MAGA fans! LOL
Cure for loneliness – get out of the house, do something for someone else.
Volunteer at an animal shelter, adopt or foster animals in need.
Get some perspective and reach out to friends, unplug already.
The blame for this rests squarely on the purposeful societal and social dysfunction fostered and pushed by the neo-Marxist radical leftist agenda, most especially by the insane and emotionally damaging Branch Covidian lockdowns, remote schooling and masking.
Isn’t he one of the mental wizards that advocated lock downs and isolation for the covid ‘pandemic’?
I hope the irony is not lost on anyone here. First you quarantine people and then complain that they are lonely….!
Congratulations the good doctor discovered that we are social animals and changing social circumstances require sometimes difficult adjustments. Ask any kindergartner, they could have told him that.
When you continuously pit different groups against each other and divide by some arbitrary criteria, you deliberately suppress the individual connection. There are many, who will not get involved because they fear to be harangued and harassed on social media, at social functions, family gatherings or meetings. What we have really lost is the basic respect and decency towards ALL humans and the ability to have an open and honest civil exchange of opinions, providing understanding and forming bonds between real people.
Wonder what exactly is the government planning to do to make people less lonely??
Reminds me of the army and their “mandatory fun” activities.
So being lonely is an epidemic, does that make it contagious? If loneliness is contagious, do we isolate?
Winning comment of the day. – sd
and what is the vaccine?
And obviously, the lonely need to start masking up again!
Never forget about the magic masks!
I will never believe anything the US Government shills have to say about health. I didn’t buy the Covid crap from the beginning and it was clear early on it was a Trump removal tool and an excuse to crank up the printing presses.
Never heard of anyone running into a lot of money having a shortage of friends. But you can always dress up like a clown and join the circus. So many do.
I smell a grant being written.
Blessed are the poor in spirit (includes loneliness): for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (matt 5:3). Look upward fix your eyes on Christ as he said “…these things to us, that in jesus we may have peace. In the world we will have tribulation. But take heart jesus overcome the world.” he overcame our lonliness, our anxiety, our grief. Happy
are those people who wait upon the Lord (by seeking him through scripture) . He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no strength he increaseth stength” isaiah 40:29
Jen what?
If lonely people don’t get the loneliness vax they could infect their grandparents with loneliness! Don’t be selfish! Get the Pfizer lonely jab now! And wear your lonely masks FFS!
Being lonely can be a terminal diagnosis. It becomes the mental illness of depression. Just look at married people who’ve been together for generations. When one member of the Union dies, usually the other one is quick to follow within a year. They simply give up hope. The loneliest in life makes it not worth living anymore. They get shoved in a nursing home and their children stop visiting. Yes loneliness is a horrible thing.
You would know, Greg.
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