The Loneliness Issue

<p><strong>Welcome to The Loneliness Issue. </strong></p><br><p><a href="https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20180504/loneliness-rivals-obesity-smoking-as-health-risk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">A 2015 study </a>stated that ‘a lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having alcohol use disorder’. The same study also found that loneliness and social isolation ‘are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity’.</p><br><p>With the Covid 19 lockdown, many people have had no choice but to either severely limit their daily interactions because of cocooning measures or spend the past few months living alone for the benefit of the wider community. And while lockdown may have suited the introverts amongst us, how have the extroverts faired?</p><br><p>Outside of this emergency, what does it mean to be lonely? Do we need to sit with our loneliness more to discover what’s behind it? Are we sometimes simply bored?</p><br><p>So many questions and we ask all of the above in this week’s episode.</p><br><p>But of course, you are never alone with Sonya and Brendan in your ears. We’re always here for you...in a socially distanced way of course.</p><br><p>Continue to stay safe.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Sonya and Brendan.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:</strong></p><br><p><a href="https://www.dubraybooks.ie/The-Sober-Diaries-How-one-woman-stopped-drinking-and-started-living_9781473661905" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Sober Diaries</a> - Clare Pooley</p><br><p><a href="https://www.dubraybooks.ie/WHERE-THE-CRAWDADS-SING_9781472154651" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Where the Crawdads Sing</a> - Delia Owens</p><br><p>Esther Perel on <a href="https://estherperel.com/blog/anticipatory-grief" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ambiguous Loss </a></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/the-only-job-i-have-now-is-to-stay-sane-anything-else-beyond-that-is