#30DaysOfScikuChallenge
About loneliness.
Day 12 Prompt: Psychology Inspired Sciku
No one to share this view
the default network is strong
memories and thoughts
Loneliness was already an epidemic before the COVID crisis, and this year, it’s been an isolated holiday season for many adding to the feeling of being isolated. Please know that there is always someone available who cares and wants to listen — please reach out to a friend, counselor, therapist, or a crisis line — you are not alone, and they’ll be glad you called.
In a new study designed to understand how isolation might affect our health, a team of researchers in the UK examined the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, genetics, and psychological self-assessments of approximately 40,000 middle-aged and older adults. They found several differences in lonely people's brains centered on the default network — a set of brain regions involved in inner thoughts such as reminiscing, future planning, imagining, and thinking about others.
Given the positive association between the default network and loneliness, the researchers suggest that lonely individuals may be biased towards internally-directed thoughts such as reminiscing or imagining social experiences in the absence of desired social experiences.
Perhaps, understanding how loneliness manifests itself in the brain could be vital in preventing neurological disease and developing better treatments, particularly as it comes to aging-related changes.
Humans survive and thrive through social exchange, so it is not surprising that the unmet desires for social interaction in humans (i.e., loneliness) to be associated with a unique neural signature.
Bottom line — we have a social brain — and it helps to keep engaged socially — physically distant or otherwise — so from my brain to yours — thank you for reading and connecting!
*This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.
**This is Day 12 of the #sciku challenge — science-inspired haiku-like poetry( so #sciku?) prompts to get you inspired — Our dear readers — why not spend some time each day creating and having a little fun — if you do — publish it anywhere on medium, just tag it with — #30DaysOfScikuChallenge.
**Tagging Daniel Sanchez Caballero, Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Lynn E. O’Connor, Ph.D. Synthia Satkuna and anyone else who feels inspired to follow and/or play along with this fun #30DaysOfScikuChallenge and today’s prompt: Psychology
What’s next — read this one about friendships:
