Scientists Working On A Pill To Treat Loneliness

This is the most depressing thing I’ve seen in a quite some time.

Scientists are working on a pill to treat “loneliness.”

I know, I know. It’s not exactly a medical condition, but we have a lot of lonely, sad people in our society. Think about that for a second. We’re all more connected now than EVER, but there’s an undeniable uptick in lonely, depressed people.

As a scientist, Stephanie Cacioppo has often viewed her life as an experiment. When John died, the practical elements of their joint research took on an urgent personal relevance.

People sometimes compare social loss to physical pain, but Stephanie finds the analogy inaccurate. After John’s death, she went on long runs, pushing herself in near-freezing temperatures until her muscles and lungs screamed. “I could handle the pain because I knew it would have an end,” she says. “The physical pain associated with running was less intense than the deep, heartfelt emotional pain of the loss of the love of my life.”

Stephanie says she’s now relying on many of the social fitness exercises that the couple validated together, such as making an effort to express gratitude, doing something nice for someone else without expecting something in return, choosing to engage with strangers, and sharing good news with others. “I am living proof of my science,” she says. “I apply it every day.”

Unlike depression and anxiety, loneliness has no recognized clinical form; there is no available diagnosis or treatment for feeling chronically isolated.She has also found relief in her work and in continuing her husband’s legacy: “If you have a sense of worth and life with a purpose, you will feel less lonely,” Stephanie says. Today, that means continuing a body of research that she and her late husband were beginning to explore: a pill for loneliness.

It just goes to show: While social media can be entertaining and helpful, it doesn’t replace true human interaction.

It’s less science fiction than it sounds. A number of clinical trials – led by Stephanie and others – are already under way, targeting the ways in which chronic loneliness changes the brain, as well as the havoc it unleashes on the nervous system. If there are pharmacological treatments for other social pains like depression and anxiety, why not loneliness?

Hm.

While it’s true that a lot of people say they enjoy “being away” from people, at the end of the day, we ALL crave human interaction. Loneliness isn’t good for anybody. We weren’t created that way. God demonstrated that from the very beginning.

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

I’m not just talking about a significant other. I’m talking about PEOPLE in general. We are social creatures. For crying out loud, we were literally CREATED to fellowship with God!

The point is, don’t isolate yourself. It’s easy to do in this society– trust me. It’s easy to go out and about and do your thing with minimal human interaction. We joke about how that’s a good thing, but at the end of the day, we all crave true human relationships. Sadly, the next generation has been conditioned to believe that artificial relationships on social media can replace the real thing.

I’m sorry, but “liking” someone’s picture on Instagram doesn’t replace a heart-to-heart conversation. Sometimes, that’s all someone needs.

h/t The Guardian