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Stress Caused by Loneliness Can Impact a Child’s Future Health
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| Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 | Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Producer |
“I just remember thinking that no one liked me. That I had no one.”
– Sarah Nadler, 14
In the fourth grade, Sarah Nadler was teased and excluded at school.
“I just remember thinking that no one liked me,” says Sarah. “That I had no one.”
Before long, she was afraid to make new friends.
“You just figure that no one wants anything to do with you, so you pretty much get trained not to make new friends and you don’t trust anyone,” she adds.
According to new research from the Institute of Psychiatry in London, kids like Sarah often develop risk factors for heart disease, as they get older.
“This study seems to show that just being alone is an independent risk factor,” says Dr. Lonny Horowitz, an obesity specialist and bariatrician in metro Atlanta. “It increases the risk of developing hypertension and increased cholesterol.”
The kids in the study who felt alone were more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and be overweight by their mid-20s.
The reason? Stress caused by loneliness.
“You know that people have increased instances of heart attacks when they are under stress,” says Dr. Horowitz. “Anxiety increases stress. Anxiety increases heart attacks.”
Sarah’s anxiety was about being rejected and blaming herself.
“I had nowhere to go, no one to tell anything,” says Sarah. “I didn’t think anyone thought anything of me, but that I was fat and that I was stupid.”
Talking can relieve stress, but Sarah didn’t confide in anyone - not even her parents.
“I didn’t go to my parents probably because I knew what they would tell me,” says Sarah, “which is,’ you’re not like that. You’re beautiful, and you can find better friends for you.’”
Sarah eventually did make friends.
Her advice to other kids?
“You have to tell someone,” she says, “cause even if they don’t do anything about it, even if the situation isn’t helped, talking about it does wonders.”
The study shows the longer a child feels isolated, the greater the risk of developing conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease.
What We Need To Know
- Encourage your kids to get involved in activities outside the home, where they interact with other kids and other people. (Lonny Horowitz, M.D., Bariatrician)
- Encourage your kids to eat properly, exercise and get enough sleep. All of these things relieve stress and reduce your child’s chances of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol or becoming overweight. (Lonny Horowitz, M.D., Bariatrician)
- Realize your child may feel vulnerable while talking about being isolated or bullied at school. Encourage your child to share his or her experiences. Be supportive. Don’t add to the child’s burden by getting angry with the bully. Make sure your child understands that the bullying is not his or her fault. Point out that lots of children get picked on at school. (Sandra Graham, Ph.D., U.C.L.A. Professor and Education Chair)
Resources
- Avshalom Caspi, Ph.D., Institute of Psychiatry, London
- Socially Isolated Children 20 years Later, Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
