Reduced production of myelin, a type of protective nerve fiber that is lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis, may also play a role in the development of mental illness. Myelin is an insulating material that wraps around the axon, the threadlike part of a nerve cell through which the cell sends impulses to other nerve cells. Depriving mice of social contact reduced their myelin production. Does this make MS a "lonely" disease?
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Are you lonely? Join he club: Although the average Facebook user has some 130 "friends," in reality, Americans have, on average, slightly more than two confidantes, down from three 25 years ago.
Sociologist Matthew Brashears says that although the social network "makes us potentially more vulnerable," the good news is that "we’re not as socially isolated as scholars had feared." Over the last few years, the average size of the group with whom we discuss important matters has shrunk by about one-third (from about three people to two).
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THE SOLUTION: JOIN OUR REGULAR WEDNESDAY CHATS (from 7 to 8 pm Pacific)! And if this description fits you, check your wallet: Current treatments for depression don’t help working-class and poor patients as much as they help middle-class people. Maybe this is because, when people with jobs come out of the slough, they realize they actually have a lot to live for. Psychologist Lydia Falconnier says, "This is particularly important since a lot of research shows negative outcomes for children of depressed mothers. This also raises questions about mandated depression treatment for working-class and poor mothers who are involved in the child welfare system." Loneliness is a MEDICAL problem that can lead to bad health.read more
If you feel lonely, you’re not alone. According to a new study by serious sociologists, most people in the US are lonely.
Duke University professors Lynn Smith-Lovin and Robert L. Wilson say that the average American’s circle of close friends has shrunk dramatically in the past two decades. And the number of people who say they have no one they can discuss important concerns with has more than doubled.
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