More Americans Feeling Lonely
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — If you’re feeling lonely these days, you’re not alone, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal.
Psychologist John T. Cacioppo points out that in the 1980’s, about 20 percent of Americans reported feeling lonely. Today, this figure is closer to 40 percent.
Cacioppo, who runs the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, explains, “Loneliness is the feeling of social isolation or dissatisfaction with your relationships. It’s not just about whether there are others around you. It’s about whether the ones around you are those you can trust.”
One reason for this spike in feeling lonely is that one-person households in the U.S. have increased over the past 40 years from 17 percent to 27 percent. Time spent on computers, which weren’t around four decades ago, also seems to have contributed to people’s isolation.
So how to get over this feeling of loneliness? Boston psychotherapist Lauren Mackler says the first step is to acknowledge that it’s making you feel bad and then take action.
Pandora MacLean-Hoover, a licensed independent clinical social worker, has this advice, “Remember that there are people who care about you; they may just be busy at the moment. Turn being alone into a positive. Do things you enjoy doing alone, like reading or walking.”
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio