US Surgeon General warns America is facing an “epidemic of loneliness.”

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that the country is facing an “epidemic of loneliness that affects both our emotional well-being and our physical health.”

Previously labeling loneliness a public health emergency, Dr. Vivek Murthy has spoken out against “growing isolation” and “the stigma attached to loneliness.”

According to a media source, he stated, “Loneliness is a profound, invisible epidemic that affects both our emotional well-being and our physical health. It is not just the absence of company.” As a culture, we have to acknowledge that social relationships are equally as vital as physical health and nutrition. Developing deep relationships is essential to our existence and is not a luxury.”

In the year before early 2024, thirty percent of individuals reported feeling lonely at least once a week, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) January Healthy Minds Monthly Poll.
In the meantime, 10% of the 2,200 individuals Morning Consult polled between January 10 and 12 claimed to be alone every day.

According to their definition, loneliness is “feeling like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging.”

According to Dr. Murthy’s paper, “Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” published last year, the average amount of time spent alone has climbed from 285 minutes per day (142.5 hours per month) in 2003 to 333 minutes per day (166.5 hours per month).

In a similar vein, people’s social and in-person friend engagement time decreased from 30 hours per month (60 minutes per day) in 2003 to 10 hours per day (20 minutes per day).

“In today’s hyper-connected world, we face a paradox: we are more connected than ever before through technology, yet many of us feel deeply alone,” said Dr. Murthy. “Loneliness doesn’t discriminate; it touches people of all ages, from young people to seniors.”

He continued, saying that the shame associated with loneliness often keeps people from getting assistance, which keeps them alone. We have to de-stigmatize loneliness and provide forums where individuals may candidly discuss their challenges.

“We must take communal responsibility in addition to individual effort to combat loneliness. It’s a matter of public health that requires equal attention to detail as any other epidemic.”

“In the face of growing isolation, our sense of community is more important than ever,” Dr. Murthy said before emphasizing: “The epidemic of loneliness is not just about feeling sad or disconnected; it is about the fundamental human need for social connection.”

His remarks to the media report coincide with a webinar discussion on Saturday at Harvard Medical School in Boston involving Dr. Murthy, Yogi, and spiritual guide Sadhguru.

“Having both Sadhguru and the US surgeon general speak about this global phenomenon will represent a cross-cultural dialogue between Western medicine and Eastern spirituality,” organizers stated.

The Isha Foundation was founded by Sadhguru and is “dedicated to raising human consciousness” in order to “foster global harmony through individual transformation.”

“Loneliness is the incubation period for mental illnesses,” he told a media report. In a society where people are getting along well, loneliness may be a sign of a psychological crisis when a significant portion of the populace is on the verge of a pandemic of mental disease.

“There are several approaches to comprehending and managing mental health conditions, but the basic idea is that our intellect has malfunctioned for some cause. It’s time to use the deep sciences of yoga to make sure our intellect works for us instead of against us.”

As stated in Dr. Murthy’s 2023 report, loneliness and social isolation “predict increased risk for developing depression and anxiety.”

Nonetheless, “importantly, social connection also seems to protect against depression, even in people with a higher probability of developing the condition.”

A lack of social connection “is associated with a significantly increased risk of early death in all cases,” according to the 2020 Consensus Study Report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The report also states that there are effects on people’s physical health.

The “Six Pillars to Advance Social Connection,” according to Dr. Murthy, are: creating a national research agenda; strengthening social infrastructure in local communities; attempting to promote connection in public policies; educating healthcare professionals; reforming digital environments; and fostering a culture of connection by “modeling) connection values in positions of leadership and influence.”

He said in a letter included in this report: “Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity and an obligation to make the same investments in addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis.”

“If we fail to do so, we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being,” he said. “And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country.”