The Lonely Road
It cuts across ages, genders, relationships, and classes. New research suggests it can lead to an early death. And in the United Kingdom, a minister has been appointed to tackle it with policy. This week, Piya asks: How do you confront loneliness?
Here are the stories from this week's episode:
Why a divorced dad had trouble telling his buddies he felt lonely
Patrick Maliha was married for 15 years. In his mid-40s, he found himself divorced and living alone for the first time. Soon, profound loneliness set in. He tells Piya why he thinks it's particularly difficult for middle-aged men to open up about feeling lonely and take steps to confront it.
'It's not something we talk about … but it's a real issue': The isolation of new motherhood
When Audrey Poulin gave birth to her first child, she knew her life was going to change. She just didn't know how lonely it would make her feel. Audrey tells Piya about how you can still feel lonely while surrounded by loved ones, the role social media played in her loneliness, and how she harnessed technology to fight it.
Why one widow says her husband's death made loneliness more manageable
For 23 years, Evie Wallace's husband Hugh struggled with multiple sclerosis, gradually losing his ability to walk, see, and eventually talk. During that time, Evie says loneliness became her constant companion. She explains how, after Hugh chose to die, she was finally able to tackle what she felt she couldn't for years.
'I do grab anything I can to move on in life': Dealing with loneliness in your senior years
Every Wednesday, a van comes to pick up Clara Mottershead, Delia Hughes and Irene Little from their homes and drops them off at the West Vancouver Seniors' Centre to socialize and play games. We join them to hear about how seniors experience loneliness differently, and what they do to avoid loneliness in old age.
Former inmate says the one thing lonelier than addiction is prison
In 2010, Johanne Wendy Bariteau was convicted of second degree murder. Eight years later, she has recently been released. And she says there are few things lonelier than being incarcerated. Johanne Wendy tells Piya why she thinks such isolation is damaging for both inmates and the community at large.