Human connection is one of the most sought after experiences in our existence. Time and again, research supports the benefits of friends, family, and social interaction for both our brains and our bodies. So why, then, wouldn’t it also be helpful for people with diabetes?
Loneliness can be a heavy health risk that is comparable to the likes of smoking and driving while under the influence. Instead of putting your body at additional risk (because remember: diabetes), surround yourself with friends and have a good laugh. It’s good for you!
Loneliness is bad for you
Loneliness is a pretty hard thing to study. What is loneliness, anyway? You can’t 
directly measure it and you can’t point at it and say, “ah-ha, there it is!” So imagine, then, how frustrating it may be to battle it. What researchers tend to do in regards to studying loneliness is give a questionnaire that measures the overall perception of loneliness by the individual. The inner torment that a person experiences when feeling lonely is then monitored closely to see exactly how it impacts his or her health.
One group of the University of California at Davis found that there were actual neurochemical changes in the brains of people that were identified as lonely. In fact, they found significant structural changes as well, indicating that the feeling of being lonely is enough to restructure and redirect entire brain processes. These findings support other research that has continuously pointed to it being a major link to rapid cognitive decline. This link has been found to be so strong, in fact, that many scientists fear that long-term loneliness, especially in older age, can lead to Alzheimer’s Disease.
Other research has found that loneliness can lead to heart disease and inflammation, making it a serious health risk in addition to being a mental health issue. This is where the overall feeling of malaise ties into diabetes: diabetes is a disease that is a constant battle of inflammation. Unchecked blood sugar, either high or low, can cause a spike in stress hormones that signal to the body to fight potential attacks on the body. The way this plays out is through inflammation, which ultimately leads to heart disease and damaged blood vessels.
This natural (yet defective) diabetic response can only be ever more detrimental when combined with the risk factors that come along with loneliness. If you are diabetic and also feeling lonely, then it is time to take care of yourself in the best way possible. Don’t like this internal torment materialize in the form of inflammation and definitely don’t let it make your daily battle against diabetes even more difficult.
How to stop loneliness
In order to help support yourself against feelings of loneliness, here are three surefire ways to build the healing human connection each of us needs.
Volunteer
Volunteering your time with a group or organization that you support is a great way to surround yourself with like-minded people. It will do wonders to get you out of the house while also putting you in the middle of a group of people that likely to become your friends.
Join a community group
A reading group, a church group, a running group, a knitting group … whatever! Join a local group so that you can practice your hobby or meet people doing the same things that you do. This way you don’t have to organize anything, all you have to do is show up!
Connect via MeetUp
My favorite website is MeetUp.com, where I have met many of my lifelong friends. Everyone using MeetUp is there for the same reason: to meet people. You get to pick which groups you join, and then you attend the scheduled events. Everyone there is new and looking for friends with similar interests, so awkward conversations are mostly eliminated. It’s the easiest way to make friends or surround yourself with people without having to make an awkward first step.
Give one of these things a try and see how you like it. Loneliness doesn’t have to be a part of your story and definitely shouldn’t make your diabetes worse.
[expand title=”References“]
Forbes. URL Link. Accessed February 3, 2017.
Psychological Bulletin. URL Link. Accessed February 3, 2017.
The Washington Post. URL Link. Accessed February 3, 2017.
Heart. URL Link. Accessed February 3, 2017.
Science Direct. URL Link. Accessed February 3, 2017.
[/expand]
