As we practice social distancing, our relationships can feel more important than ever. On HiddenBrain, vivek_murthy explains why loneliness is a matter of public health, and how we can deepen our social ties.
Vivek Murthy was a newly-minted doctor when he realized that his thorough medical school education had fallen short. His training hadn't prepared him for one of the most frequent health issues he saw in the examination room: loneliness.
Vivek remembers feeling helpless when a patient recounted his sense of social isolation and the physical health problems linked to it."I felt utterly ill-equipped to address what was clearly the issue that was on his mind," Vivek says. Years later, when Vivek became the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, he witnessed a"dark thread of loneliness" in his conversations with Americans across the country. Loneliness, he realized, was more pervasive than he'd thought, and was bound up in other health issues in complicated ways. He calls loneliness"the great masquerader"; it often manifests as other emotions, such as anger, or through behaviors, such as drug or alcohol abuse.
Even after Vivek left his post as the country's leading spokesperson for public health, he continued his effort to understand loneliness. InVivek highlights the importance of relationships, the hazards of loneliness, and what we can do to live a more people-centered life. His book arrived on shelves at a time when the vast majority of Americans are under orders to stay at home.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why your Social Security cost-of-living adjustment could be lower in 2021The annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment may only be 0.8%, according to one early estimate based on first quarter data. That's less than the 1.6% bump retirees saw to their monthly benefit checks this year. Here's what's driving the forecast down.
Read more »
Coronavirus could deplete Social Security as early as 'this decade': analysisA new analysis from the Bipartisan Policy Center shows how much the current downturn caused by the coronavirus could hit Social Security.
Read more »
Coronavirus UK live: Social distancing will have to continue for 'a long time' - Business InsiderThe UK death toll hit 18,738 on Thursday. Here's the latest as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across Britain.
Read more »
Earth Day 2020: How social distancing may impact park and marine lifeFewer people on roads, beaches and waterways amid COVID-19 social distancing measures could benefit protected wildlife, experts who study animal behavior say.
Read more »
Earth Day 2020: How social distancing may impact park and marine lifeEarth Day is focusing attention on the impact COVID-19 social distancing measures have on the environment. Vehicle mortalities are a 'big issue' for national park wildlife, Todd Suess, chief of the National Park Service's Biological Resources Division, told ABC News. The desert tortoise
Read more »
Liberal groups attempt to rally supporters — from an appropriate social distanceThe virus has forced organizations to cancel revenue-generating annual events or shift them to virtual settings, and their grassroots fundraising could take a hit as families are impacted by coronavirus-related health care costs, layoffs and furloughs
Read more »