Persistent loneliness in midlife leads to dementia and Alzheimer's disease in later years.

People who are between the age of 45 to 64 years and persistently feel lonely have nearly twice the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life compared with their peers who do not experience persistent loneliness.

Just like the opioid and suicide crisises, loneliness is a behavioral epidemic of modern times. Several modern trends of our era like the growth of consumerism and the decline of religion, along with the proliferation of social media and technology has contributed to more loneliness and less connectedness.

Older adults who volunteer at least 15 hours a week as mentors or tutors feel less lonely. Developing wisdom's of compassion, emotional regulation and personal spirituality also aid in lowering loneliness. The Covid pandemic has made it difficult to connect in person. As the number of vaccinations increase, the older adults are getting more comfortable in reaching out to one another, Objective and perceived social isolation independently affect the probability of suffering from depression and anxiety. If you or a loved one you know is struggling with depression, anxiety and or loneliness, please get help by reaching out to my office and scheduling an appointment. Talking to a trusting individual helps.