By Emily Sohn — 2020
Humans can survive three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food and — according to survival lore — three months without companionship. Whether true or not, what’s clear is that people need people.
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CLEAR ALL
You not calling, as a friend, can actually compound the grief and loss they are feeling. Just pick up the phone, even if you get it wrong, just have a conversation and do your best. Your friend with cancer is still the same person they were before.
Look more closely and you’ll see.
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Demand from patients seeking help for their mental illnesses has led to underground use in a way that parallels black markets in the AIDS pandemic. This underground use has been most perilous for people of color, who face greater stigma and legal risks due to the War on Drugs.
We're living in what you might call an epidemic of loneliness. Recent research has shown that many of the people we feel close to probably don't reciprocate the feeling.
Studies of polar researchers, astronauts, and others in isolation shed light on possible effects of social distancing, including increased forgetfulness, depression and heart attacks.
Some people harbor the illusion that rest is a luxury they do not have time for, but the reality is that rest is a necessity.
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The bodies of lonely people are markedly different from the bodies of non-lonely people.
Sadness is a central part of our lives, yet it’s typically ignored at work, hurting employees and managers alike.
If we can process our regrets with tenderness and compassion, we can use these hard memories as a part of our wisdom bank.
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Expectations surrounding Black masculinity, such as the requirement to be strong and stoic, have often prevented Black men from seeking mental health care. But it's possible to overcome this reluctance and make mental wellness a priority.