Have you heard? Public health experts now define loneliness as an epidemic in our country.

But just what is an epidemic?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says epidemics can refer to a disease or other specific health-related behavior (smoking, for example) with rates clearly above the expected occurrence in a community or region. This is why in a country where the internet and cell phones connect nearly everyone, it's shocking to learn that 1 in 3 Americans is lonely. 

What's more shocking is the toll loneliness is taking on our friends, family members, co-workers, the economy, and the healthcare system. Or maybe it's not shocking, because you are that one in three who has no one to share your life with.

Join us for this important episode as we unpack what loneliness really is, the reasons our country is plagued with it, and how we can all play a role in healing our nation. 

Guest Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Resources:
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy  

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler Podcast – 11/4/19 – Vivek Murthy: The Loneliness Epidemic

How to Deal with Loneliness: 5 Ways to Stop Feeling Lonely – www.cigna.com

https://www.senioradvisor.com/blog/2018/01/senior-phone-programs-fight-loneliness/

The Loneliness Epidemic Persists: A Post-Pandemic Look at the State of Loneliness among U.S. Adults - https://newsroom.cigna.com/loneliness-epidemic-persists-post-pandemic-look

Here’s What Happens When You Combine a Day Care and a Nursing Home https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-happens-when-you-combine-day-care-and-nursing-home#The-rise-of-intergenerational-care

Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It
https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america

God Is Not Enough; a sermon by Keith Simon from The Crossing Church, Columbia
https://thecrossingchurch.com/Resources/Watch/Sermon%20Archives/Stand-Alone%20Sermons/keith-simon-2

Axios Finish Line: Lonely America
https://www.axios.com/2022/10/26/loneliness-pandemic-america-phone-calls