But I think much more deeply than that, and this is a problem that's been unfolding over decades, is the grinding inequality, the tectonic crushing of people's sense of solidarity and connection to one another. And even though we want to pretend it's normal, I think there are deep persisting effects of that kind of forced traumatic isolation. One, of course, is just we've come out of this pandemic. LIU: Well, I think there's a lot of forces. MARTÍNEZ: What do you think is causing such widespread loneliness? And that has effects not only on the body, but on the ways in which we see each other in community and feel connected to one another. LIU: When you are alone and disconnected, there's more stress. I mean, you think about the ways in which - I mean, a broken heart is a physical diagnosis, and it's a social diagnosis. But dementia, stroke, cardiovascular disease? That part surprised me, Eric, because, like, depression, OK, fine. I think everything that the surgeon general said about the effects on the body of loneliness are true, as well of the effects on the body politic. MARTÍNEZ: For some possible solutions to this, we're turning to Eric Liu, co-founder of Citizen University, a nonprofit that aims to build community and civic awareness across America.Įric, how surprised were you by what the surgeon general said?ĮRIC LIU: Well, A, thanks for having me. It increases our risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, but it also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, of dementia, stroke and premature death. VIVEK MURTHY: I'm worried about this from a public health perspective because it turns out that being socially disconnected has real consequences for our health. He spoke on Tuesday to NPR's All Things Considered. He claims there's an epidemic of loneliness and isolation and that it's bad for your health. That's according to a new report from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. About half of all adults in the U.S have experienced loneliness. As their relationship deepens?and Osita struggles to. But Vivek?s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings.

What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family?s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Named one of the year?s most anticipated books by The New York Times, Harper?s Bazaar, BuzzFeed, and moreWhat does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son?s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet.

The death of vivek