In today’s 24 hour society, there are images everywhere of people out enjoying their lives, their families and their friends.  Yet if you know where to look there is a hidden world. This world is populated by many people some you might expect and some that will come as a surprise.  Let’s be clear we all feel lonely at times, but I am talking about chronic loneliness. People who perhaps have only a few transient relationships in their lives.  Typically they will have no-one to form a deep attachment.

Of course our minds instantly stray to the elderly sitting in their flat not seeing anyone from one week to the next.  As we think some more we might think of the single parent who is trapped indoors by the children and longs for adult company.  But what of young single professionals can they be lonely?

Well perhaps surprisingly yes.  In the 21st century the nuclear family has disappeared and people often have to travel distances to get work.  Here people can become very isolated because they have not support network and thy face the prospect of starting again (daunting at the best of times).  With images and social stigma everywhere (how many facebook friends do you have?) admitting that you are lonely is a huge issue.  So the problem remains hidden and like so many social issues before it is hidden by a blanket of silence where we are all afraid to discuss it openly and freely.

Loneliness would seem to purvey all levels of society and seems to have very few resources to help.  Sufferers are left to find their own solutions.  Yet society it seems misunderstands the issue scared to talk about it and is all too ready with the glib answer – Just join a club or I wish I had all that time on my own.  Perhaps the time has come to openly discuss how we as a society tackle loneliness and get started on making a difference.

Inspired by http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2019545/The-loneliness-epidemic-Attractive-successful–years-EMILY-WHITE-felt-profoundly-Why-honest-problem-blights-lives.html#ixzz1TO6f8klU