[xoxoxoBruce]

Being lonely is not only bad for your health, it’s in fact significantly worse than drinking or not exercising. Loneliness emerged as a risk factor for early death with an impact as significant as smoking and three times more significant than obesity.

Social isolation is the best-established, most robust social or psychological risk factor for disease out there. Nothing can compare.

When your brain sends a message that you are lonely, the immune cells hear danger! and turn off some of your antiviral defenses: You don’t need those now, after all, since viruses spread among people.

Loneliness is also universal. It can equally affect both introverts and extroverts, says Cacioppo, and the only difference between them is the number of close relationships required to feel connected (one for introverts versus three for extroverts).

From