There is your coworker who just doesn't fit in to any of the office cliques, and there is the scientist who spends twelve hours every day in an office working at a computer. Loneliness is a condition that crosses all gender, ethnic and socioeconomic barriers. In this age of astounding medical advancements and technological wizardry, people are falling prey to the ill effects of loneliness at an alarming rate. Just being around other people is not enough to prevent loneliness. Rather, it is the quality of the relationship that will determine whether a person feels lonely.
Loneliness can be traumatic.
Physiologically, loneliness can trigger the same stress response as a broken leg. This causes our bodies to alter the production of hormones, which in turn alters the function of many other systems in the body. Ultimately, this can affect every cell in our bodies. Stress also may prolong the amount of time it takes our bodies to heal. Loneliness can make us sick, keep us sick, and interfere with our recovery.