Loneliness

Erik Austin
2 days ago
1 min read

Loneliness is talked about like it’s a feeling, a mood, something you can shake off with a busy weekend or a few more texts. But the truth is scarier than that. Loneliness has been shown to be as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Not metaphorically. Not poetically. Physically.

It raises stress hormones, weakens the immune system, messes with sleep, and quietly wears the body down. You can eat well, exercise, drink water, do all the “right” things and still be hurting in ways no one sees because loneliness doesn’t leave a smell on your clothes or a cough in your lungs. It just settles in.

And the wild part is that it can happen even when you’re surrounded by people. It’s not about being alone. It’s about not being seen. Not being known. Not having somewhere to land emotionally.

We warn people about smoking. We warn them about sugar and cholesterol and screen time. But loneliness slips through like it’s harmless, like it’s just part of modern life. It’s not. It’s a health issue. A real one.

Connection isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.