First, realize that mental health professionals aren’t feeling somewhat concerned that they don’t have an instant answer, a pill, a technique, something to lift this gray veil from our mind’s eyes miraculously.

One physician at a major hospital poured out his feelings in an article. An elderly patient had asked him if he could help her with feelings of loneliness. “I wish I could say yes. I wish I could prescribe her some antidepressants and be satisfied that I had done my best, but the truth is she’s not clinically depressed. It’s just that she has been left behind by a world that no longer revolves around her, not even the littlest bit of it.”

The physician said he saw the hospital as a “last resort” for people who found their beloved elderly relatives interfering with the holiday celebrations, requiring too much attention, being too needy. Did those people stop and think about how they would feel if they were no longer relevant to what the physician termed a culture addicted to youth?

Being tossed aside is terrible enough. Having it happen when everyone is in a celebratory mood and you’re excluded kills people earlier than they need to die. How disheartening for the physician, but most of all, for those abandoned to the care of strangers. BTW, that is the title of an excellent book on the history of the American hospital system.

Of course, we have studies of loneliness, especially during a time of a lockdown in a pandemic. Isn’t that what mental health professionals provide?

Who are those who suffer from loneliness most during this time? Younger adults, people with low income, the economically inactive, and people with mental health conditions were more likely to be in the highest loneliness class than the lowest. Everyone in these groups has a good reason to feel isolated and lonely. Wouldn’t you?

The thread that connects all of them and all of us is seen in the data; social connection. If we can maintain social relationships, we may keep ourselves afloat during particular times of emotional privation where the intensity ratches up—holiday times.

During the year, any year without a pandemic, we work toward solidifying our human and even animal connections. Some will join like-minded groups for activity; others will be sure to schedule regular social interactions either face-to-face or via technology. It will include quiet walks in parks or interactions with animals in the home or outside for some.

Pet ownership, in my opinion, can be quite a healthful activity. They may provide a sense of need and security and prevent rash actions. If it’s true that dogs have masters, cats have staff; then we know they have the power to help us. Fighting loneliness is one of their tasks. For dogs, they provide unconditional love as they perceive our need and they give it to us. Dogs can be saviors, but not everyone can have one.

Articles aplenty will appear now in all manner of publications. They will offer sure-cure ways to tackle loneliness and make it something positive. And some of the advice is good because everything can be seen in more than one light. My advice?

Seek to firm up your relationships now and remind yourself that you have power over your life, no matter where you are or what you no longer do. Unfortunately, we live in a world that defines us not simply by age (ageism) but by what we do for a living.

What is one of the first questions people ask you when you meet? Of course, it’s “And what do you do?” I am almost bursting at the seams because I want to respond, “Do about what?” I am not what I do or what I did. I am me, and that matters.

Want to fight loneliness? Begin today in whatever way you can (I leave the creativity up to you) and work at it as you would have worked (or work) at a career. This is the most important, satisfying work you will ever do.

The post Combating Loneliness Is Everyone’s Job appeared first on Medika Life.

Dallas-based startup Listeners on Call is trying to solve the problem through its consumer listening services connecting people in need to an empathetic listening ear. The company believes in the power of meaningful conversations.

Listeners on Call launched in July of 2020 in response to the growing pandemic of loneliness exacerbated by Covid-19. The platform promotes mental health by connecting callers to a trained team of listeners. The company website states, “Everyone has something they need to share. Not everyone has someone to listen.”

The Dallas-based startup matches Listener on Call users to others who provide an empathetic ear and share experiences. The company believes sharing with someone who can relate to your problem can be life-changing. Callers can rest assured their privacy is protected as all calls are anonymous.

The Listeners are not trained medical professionals and do not give out medical advice. The platform is not designed to provide therapy or counseling. Instead, Listeners on Call’s goal is to be a “first step” for those seeking support. Dallas-based CEO Cole Egger told the Dallas Business Journal, “the company isn’t looking into the crowded field of telehealth companies providing professional services instead of seeing itself as the first step in seeking care and support.”

After downloading the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, users can select their listener to find someone who shares a connection to what they are experiencing. The company website states, “We are committed to connecting anyone, anywhere, anytime with someone who has a related personal experience and is ready to listen and are proud to offer on-call empathy, privacy, and support for millions of people who need to feel heard.”

The next step is to find a convenient time to speak directly to the listener. The app allows users to connect immediately for urgent conversations or to schedule a time in the future when it is convenient.

Next, Listeners On Call connects the user to the listener on a private line to help maintain privacy and anonymity. The calls can be as long or as short as needed. Users pay $0.50 per minute to use the service.

Every day people can apply to be listeners and be paid for their time. The application process is spelled out on their website. The company seeks out people who have empathy and who have a “natural spark of curiosity that makes people want to open up to them.” The listeners are trained through the company’s Listening Academy.

The Listening Academy involves a series of short courses focused on the art of Connected Listening, which the company explains as “how to create a bond with strangers based on a shared experience.” The program provides listeners with tools and techniques to help callers feel heard and valued.

The techniques employed by Listeners On Call is backed up by data showing an individual’s emotional state can be improved by exposing them to an empathetic listener. The company performed research evaluating callers disposition before and after engaging with a listener on their platform.

Listeners on Call partnered with Morphii, an experience measurement technology to complete the study. Morphii’s patented technology quantifies users’ emotions and feelings after engaging with various technologies.

During the study, Listeners on Call evaluated a caller’s disposition before and after a call with a trained listener. The Morphii system then quanitfied the caller’s pre and post-call emotional state.

The results were summarized in a press release as:

• Almost all Callers (97% leave the Listeners On Call platform in a more positive state.
• Overall, Callers experienced a 115% improvement in disposition from pre-to-post call.
• Callers identifying isolation/loss as the reason for seeking Listeners reported an average improvement of 151%.
• Callers seeking Listeners to cope with stress demonstrated a 184% improvement.
• Lastly, Callers who did not designate a specific topic, but who simply needed to talk/vent averaged an 89% improvement from pre- to post-call.

The mission of Listeners on Call is to make sure no one ever feels like they are alone. We all need someone to talk to sometimes. Perhaps, this platform can help the world feel more connected.

The post Listeners On Call Tackles Loneliness Through the Art of Listening appeared first on Medika Life.