Loneliness

Loneliness has become the blight of the 21st century. In our advanced societies, many are able to and choose to live separately from each other, as a mark of our success. Millions of others are forced to live alone because of family bereavements or personal tragedies.

But such independence incurs the very great risk of loneliness, which can, and does, lead to health porblems such as an increase in depression, and a far higher cancer mortality rate.

Younger people are now expert in communicating without actually physically meeting anybody, which does not bode well for the future.

Madeleine Böcker, a psychotherapist, writer and trainer with a special interest in loneliness, based in West London, and Philip Kashpar, a philosopher and writer, based in Moscow, join me — John Harrison to discuss these vitally important issues.