Loneliness Peaks Twice: Unveiling the U-Shape of Adult Isolation

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I'm 67, never married, live alone, and estranged from my siblings.

And I'm not lonely. I keep a cadre of friends and acquaintances of all ages, some older and some younger. I get together with college roommates from time to time.

As for the latter, we speak speculatively of doing a "Golden Girls" arrangement of moving in together when expenses demand it. And I could do that as well as live independently.

I've considered the prospect of incremental loneliness as I age and I believe to thwart that from happening is to stay active and engaged as much as possible. I still work and have many co-workers I call friends.

By contrast, my father became isolated after his wife/my mother passed. He didn't want to socialize unless he was a couple and one by one, his friends either died or lost touch. He was isolated from his children and only had a dog, which he neglected. It was sad. I don't intend to go out that way.