A new survey has revealed that 1 in every 5 people around the world suffer from loneliness.
In a survey conducted by Gallup, 23 percent of people who reported loneliness also frequently reported physical pain, anxiety, sadness, stress, and anger.
Dr. Verma, a psychologist, told CBS News that loneliness is more than an emotional feeling, a medical problem that should be taken very seriously.
“It’s like someone smoking 15 cigarettes a day and we know it affects our brain and our body,” he said. It also makes us prone to anxiety and depression and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke by 30%, dementia by 50% and early death by 60%.
However, Dr Verma said that there is a way to combat loneliness. Review the quality of your social interactions and ask yourself if people are paying attention to you but you aren’t feeling it.