At no time in the history of Humanity have we been more connected. Just over a hundred years ago, the telephone was invented. It was in 1927, the first transatlantic overseas call was made. Now, we can call anywhere in world but that’s old technology. Today we can call, text, video call, zoom conference with multiple people (as in hundreds) all at the same time. The click of a button and we are talking and seeing anyone from anywhere on our planet. In spite of these technological achievements, loneliness has reached epic proportions worldwide. Alone and lonely are very different things, one, alone, is a choice and can be glorious. Loneliness, however, is a perceptual feeling that experiences a lack of connections, or more specifically, quality relationships. The rise of loneliness was well researched long before Covid-19 debuted, which has only exacerbated our loneliness through isolation and physical distance. It has reached such levels that the UK. in 2017, appointed an elected member of parliament to be the Minister of Loneliness, sounds very Orwellian but it is just that dangerous. Loneliness can cause high blood pressure, cardiac disorders, hormonal imbalances as the stress hormone, cortisol, continually floods the body. Depression and anxiety, both result from and contribute to, loneliness. It is complex. Our behaviours to deal with loneliness include overeating, increased alcohol and substance use, sleep disorders, all of which leads to early death from a number of causes including suicide. Loneliness is as dangerous to our health as obesity or smoking a pack of cigarettes a day! Surprisingly the most affected group by age is not the elderly, it is the millennial and Z-generation groups and then we go to the elderly as the next largest group. The worst element to loneliness and trying to get people to reach out is the stigma it carries. There is an enormous amount of shame in admitting that we are lonely. Join us as we discuss the complex experience of loneliness and also ways we can deal with it.