Loneliness Source of Forgetfulness
Loneliness Causes Memory Loss
Gretchen Heuring | ElderThink | 02.17.11
Everyone knows how it feels to be lonely, but ongoing loneliness heralds a sense of despair and memories are lost in the darkness. 
In his book "What Are Old People For," William H. Thomas, M.D. tells the following story about one of his first experiences treating elderly in a nursing home:
"...I was asked to see a woman about a rash that had developed on her arm. Accompanied by a nurse, I strode down the hall, confident that I could diagnose the cause...I found my patient lying on her bed...and presented myself what I supposed was a very friendly and confident way. When I prepared to leave, she reached up and took hold of my arm and pulled me towards her. I will never forget the whiteness of her hair and the blueness of her eyes. In a soft, sad voice she said, "I am so lonely."
"...nothing in my training or experience had prepared me for this...those eyes and that face and that voice would not leave my mind. Indeed, they are with me still."
Dr. Thomas continues to discuss loneliness, helplessness and boredom as a way of life for many elderly people. The affect is a kind of despair...a giving up. The result is loss of memory for the simplest pleasures such as how to hold a conversation. Sadly, many elderly people will live their last years and die in this state.
Loneliness Can Become Chronic
Researcher John Cacioppo, at the University of Chicago, is leading a team that is studying the biological effects of loneliness. Dr. Cacioppo has learned that lonely people have higher blood pressure, elevated stress and compromised immune systems. They get sick more and die sooner than non-lonely people.
Some people like to be alone and don't feel lonely when they are. The difference, according to Dr. Cacioppo and his colleagues, has to do with individual comfort zones. Healthy people may enjoy alone time but they remain open and available to others.
