Loneliness, as defined by mental health professionals, is a gap between the level of connectedness that you want and what you have. It is not the same as social isolation, which is codified in the social sciences as a measure of a person’s contacts. Loneliness is a subjective feeling. People can have a lot of contact and still be lonely, or be perf

feeling disconnected from the world and those around you isn’t just bad for your relationships or career; loneliness is detrimental to your health.

Loneliness has reached epidemic levels, and it has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Loneliness is killing us. We cannot afford to give up trying to connect with others (Cigna).

Still, it can hurt not to have someone, and once you start adding up all the little aches, you wind up with a chronic condition. Some days, when you have a lot on your plate and feel confident, or at least happily preoccupied with life, the stress is manageable. Other days, it can feel like a constant battle against an opponent only you can see.