Being out in the wilderness with nothing but your own survival knowledge and a few key tools is a tough challenge for anyone. This is the premise of the HISTORY program "Alone." But a less obvious challenge comes along with surviving these conditions — the challenge of doing it, just as the title suggests, completely alone. Loneliness not only takes a toll on your mental health, but studies show that social isolation negatively affects your physical health too. Psychologists at University of Chicago and Ohio State University have done research that shows changes in the immune systems of socially isolated people. These changes can lead to a condition called chronic inflammation. Lonely people also have higher levels of cortisol, which, in high amounts, can cause inflammation and disease.
The Effects of Social Isolation
An explanation of the physical and mental effects of prolonged social isolation.
Why Do We Feel Lonely?
What causes us to feel lonely?
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Key Facts In This Video
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Studies have linked loneliness to certain genetic markers. 00:59
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Astronaut Al Worden was the most isolated man in history. 01:42
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Experiencing nostalgia can help with loneliness. 02:56
How Lonliness Effects The Body
The mental state of being lonely can have a physical as well as mental impact on the body.
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Written by
Curiosity Staff
April 27, 2016
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