Loneliness is a killer. 

Not to be conflated with social isolation — the objective state of being entirely devoid of human contact — loneliness is the dreaded perception of being alone, with no one by your side. No one to conversate with, laugh with, or help you overcome life’s struggles. 

We’ve all felt this. I know I have.

But, apart from being an inexplicably distressing feeling, loneliness has physiological consequences, too. 

A new study published in Nature Mental Health found that individuals who experience loneliness are more at risk of developing all-cause dementia and cognitive impairment. 

The study — of, might I add, unusual breadth, with data from over 600,000 people — found that “feeling lonely increased risk for dementia by 31 percent.” Additionally, loneliness increased the risk for cognitive impairment by 15 percent. 

These data should shock you. 

Martina Luchetti, one of the study’s authors, told Meeri Kim in an interview for the Washington Post that “loneliness is associated with multiple cognitive outcomes besides the endpoint of dementia.”

Many, however, have articulated ways in which individuals can ameliorate their feelings of loneliness. In that same Washington Post article, Kim interviewed NYU Langone neurologist Joel Salinas, who remarked that “we may not yet have a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, but we do have a cure for loneliness.”

Salinas, among other things, recommends “preserving what you have.” In other words, it means reaching out to people who are already in your life, albeit only peripherally. We all have family and friends with whom we have, in a way, abandoned or lost connection. It is, undoubtedly, easier to rekindle dormant relationships than to forge new ones from the ground up. This could be as simple as shooting an old friend a text message saying, “Hey man, I’ve been thinking about you. We should catch up soon. When are you free?” This isn’t hard and is, frankly, something I should do more myself. 

But sometimes, it is necessary to go out in the world and make new friends. Finding people with similar hobbies and interests is a good place to start. 

I recently felt a bit lonely. This prompted me to see what meet-up groups my community had to offer. In a Facebook group that I’ve been an inactive member of for years, I was delighted to see that a few locals have been meeting up a few times a month to play bluegrass music. I don’t play bluegrass; I’ve always been a jazz man. Upon some reflection, I thought, “What do I have to lose? I’ll bring my guitar and try to strum along.” What I found was a small group of hospitable musicians eager to welcome me into the fold. The mellifluous sounds of double bass, mandolin, guitars, and a tenor ukulele filled the air. In between tunes, we would banter and laugh. 

We can all do this. It will, no doubt, be uncomfortable at first. But better to be uncomfortable in the context of community and companionship, than to be alone and isolated in the context of your studio apartment.