Solitude can kill!

Dr. Parul R. Sheth

According to WHO, every year 727,000 people take their own life and many more who make suicide attempts. Globally, as of 2021, suicide is the third leading cause of death especially among 15–29-year-olds. Youngsters have the highest suicide rate even in India, and this is consistent with international trends. It is very shocking and heartbreaking to lose someone so young! What’s with today’s youth? Why does depression creep into their minds? What makes them take such a harsh decision of taking their own life? Who is to blame?

There are mind boggling questions. To answer these, we need to delve deeper into their young minds and analyze their mental status. The younger population feels insecure and lonely. One of the major reasons could be the transitioning stress that strikes during the process of entering adulthood. Surprisingly, young adults feel lonely in spite of the presence of social media, which literally rules their lives.

Today, loneliness has creeped into the minds of Generation Z (ages 18-22). According to a 2020 survey by Cigna Healthcare, a global company dedicated to improving health and wellness, 79 percent of Gen Z reported loneliness. Millennials (ages 23-37) also report high levels of loneliness but not as much as Gen Z. 

A negative emotion

Loneliness is a state of mind that afflicts normal people from time to time. You move to a new house, new school, going to college, having to stay in a hostel or face the death of your loved one; friend or family – all give rise to negative and depressive thoughts. For some, however, loneliness becomes a personality trait resulting in a chronic emotion that changes behaviour in the long run. In fact, chronic loneliness is associated with changes in parts of the brain, which links cognition, self-awareness and negative emotions.

Loneliness may have its roots from the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic. This was when people lived a disconnected life for over two years. No school, no college, work from home – all affected the mental status of both children and youth. The secluded and protected environment turned the youngsters into loners. Life is back to normal post COVID but the repercussion of the pandemic still prevails in the young minds.

Is social media to blame?

Today, the explosion in the digital world has changed relationships and social interactions. No longer do people care to meet face to face, spend time with each other. Face time and video calling can be done from anywhere.  Perhaps this saves time and energy of reaching out to faraway places to interact with your loved ones. Even job interviews and work meetings are managed using zoom, google meet etc.  It is true that social media helps us stay connected. And AI chatbots and companions are around to be at our beck and call.

Most of the times everything on social media appears rosy and beautiful. Youth get carried away with the picture-perfect reels and dialogues on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X etc. Watching other people’s successes makes failure unacceptable for these youngsters. They are gripped with the fear of failure. The immense pressure to succeed at high school, college, university, career, job, family and personal relationships imparts stress and anxiety.

Unrealistic expectations that cannot be fulfilled, lead the young minds to the road of distress and depression. “I am unable to cope up with the studies”. “My love-life is going haywire “. I have no friends to share my woes, I do not wish to share my troubles and problems with anyone”. Hopelessness and low self-esteem set in. The most unfortunate aspect is that the family and friends often miss the warning signs that lead to depressive thoughts.

Isolation influences brain health

Loneliness can change the neurochemistry of the brain. It can turn off the dopamine neurons, which trigger the reward response causing degeneration in the brain. Solitude can elicit stress response and activate the immune system with the release of inflammatory chemicals. The detrimental effect of this is damage of neurons/nerve cells in the brain. Scientists have published reports regarding the link between loneliness and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease too. Both physical lethargy and cognitive decline are present in lonely people.

Combating loneliness

Transient loneliness goes as it comes and it does not need medical intervention. However, loneliness for a long time, has to be looked into. This is because loneliness is identified as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. Something drastically needs to be done for these young aspiring individuals who are out in the world to prove themselves. They crave for immediate success and fame.  Competition is immense and everyone cannot succeed. After every loss there is gain, you have to be patient and work harder to achieve your goals. Failure is a stepping stone for success.

There is no ‘one-size-fit’ solution; experts say it has to be both personal and collective effort. First and foremost, isolation has to go. Being with friends and family, spending time with people you are comfortable with, pursuing a hobby that you like, taking a break from social media, going on a vacation etc. Including a healthy diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, ‘Pranayam’ can help to be at peace with your mind and heart.