Now You Lot Know Lonely At The Top: Interview Amongst Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.

[Episode 70] In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is almost loneliness. Since social workers don't speak much almost loneliness (we'd rather speak almost social isolation or social withdrawl), I spoke amongst Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, together with writer of Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success, published inwards 2011 yesteryear Palgrave Macmillan.

Dr. Joiner together with I speak almost biological together with social factors that contribute to men's loneliness. We speak almost the effects of loneliness on men's wellness together with well-being, including the number of suicide. We speak almost how Dr. Joiner's enquiry speaks to women together with men who are non on the top, for illustration sexual together with racial minorities. We speak almost some of the solutions that Dr. Joiner proposes, including only reaching out. We terminate our conversation on a personal note. I tell Dr. Joiner that my married adult woman late gave nascence to twin boys. I inquire him what I tin flame do to preclude my sons from growing upwards together with becoming lonely men. He was form plenty to give me some gratis advice.

s episode of the Social Work Podcast is almost loneliness Now You Know Lonely at the Top: Interview amongst Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.Download MP3 [36:15]


Contact
Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/joiner.dp.html

Bio

THOMAS JOINER grew upwards inwards Georgia, went to college at Princeton, together with received his Ph.D. inwards Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He is Distinguished Research Professor together with The Bright-Burton Professor inwards the Department of Psychology at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Joiner's operate is on the psychology, neurobiology, together with handling of suicidal demeanour together with related conditions. Author of over 395 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Joiner was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship together with the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Residency Fellowship. He was elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association, together with received the Young Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia together with Depression, the Shakow Award for Early Career Achievement from the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association, the Shneidman Award for excellence inwards suicide enquiry from the American Association of Suicidology, together with the Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions from the American Psychological Association, equally good equally enquiry grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Defense, together with diverse foundations.

Dr. Joiner is on the Board of Advisors for the mag Men's Health. He is editor of the American Psychological Association's Clinician's Research Digest, editor of the Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, together with Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, together with he has authored or edited xv books, including Why People Die By Suicide, published inwards 2005 yesteryear Harvard University Press, together with Myths About Suicide, published inwards 2010, also amongst Harvard University Press. Largely inwards connectedness amongst Why People Die By Suicide, he has made numerous radio, print, together with tv set appearances, including write-ups inwards The Wall Street Journal, Men's Health, together with The Times of London, a radio interview on the Leonard Lopate Show inwards New York, together with 2 appearances on the Dr. Phil Show.

Dr. Joiner is clinically active - he is a licensed clinical psychologist inwards Florida. He is Director of FSU's University Psychology Clinic, together with hence oversees the supervision yesteryear 5 psychologists of xx clinical psychology graduate students treating about lxxx patients per week. Dr. Joiner provides six- to twelve-hour workshops on suicidal demeanour together with mood disorders to nurses, social workers, psychologists together with allied wellness professionals across the U.S. of A. of America He runs a consulting do specializing inwards suicidal behavior, including legal consultation on suits involving decease yesteryear suicide.

According to a recent survey, Dr. Joiner was ranked equally the world's 2nd most productive academic clinical psychologist.

He lives inwards Tallahassee, Florida amongst his married adult woman together with 2 sons.

Transcript

Introduction
Jonathan Singer: Today's episode of the social operate podcast is almost loneliness. [Music: intro to "Piano Man"]. Social workers don't speak much almost loneliness. We speak around loneliness. We speak almost social isolation or social withdrawl. I don't recollect staffing whatever cases amongst my supervisors together with having them say, "Jonathan, it seems similar you've missed a telephone commutation element inwards your client's electrical current circumstances - loneliness." My hunch is that nosotros don't speak much almost loneliness because everyone experiences it. Something can't endure pathological if it is a universal experience, right? If you lot don't think of loneliness equally a universal experience, just plough on the radio, or whatever it is called these days. Pop musicians dear to write songs almost universal themes similar dear together with loss, together with loneliness.

Billy Joel, inwards his 1973 striking "Piano Man" expressed it most concisely when he wrote the line, "They're sharing a drinkable they telephone phone loneliness, but it's ameliorate than drinking alone." Sting, showtime of The Police together with so of, well, just Sting, has made a career out of writing almost loneliness. In his 1979 song, "Message inwards a Bottle," he used the metaphor of an isle castaway who puts a message inwards a bottle together with throws it into the sea, hoping someone volition notice it. Unlike the lonely bar room patrons inwards "Piano Man", the castaway inwards "Message inwards a Bottle" is surprised to notice out he is non lonely inwards existence alone. [cue music: "Message inwards a Bottle"]. He wakes upwards 1 morning time to notice "A hundred billion bottles washed upwards on the shore."

Mariah Carey, inwards her 1993 song, "Anytime You Need a Friend," doesn't so much speak to loneliness equally much she speaks to the lonely. She together with a big onetime loving choir tell Billy Joel's barroom patrons together with Sting's isle castaways, "anytime you lot demand a friend, I'll endure here" [cue music].

So, other than reminding us of some cracking popular music, why am I talking almost loneliness today? According to my guest, Thomas Joiner, the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, loneliness powerfulness endure at the take in of 1 of the most perplexing contemporary populace wellness paradoxes. That paradox is, despite the fact that men are yesteryear all indicators the most powerful together with privileged inwards every ground inwards the world, "for each of the 12 leading causes of death, mortality is higher for men than women" (Joiner, 2011, p. 7). If nosotros expect at just 1 of those causes of death, suicide, the disparity betwixt men together with women is astounding: Of the about 36,000 Americans who died yesteryear suicide inwards 2009, about 80% were men. Of those men, about 90% were white men. Why would white men, who are the most privileged of the privileged, endure the most likely to kill themselves? Dr. Joiner's reply is simple:  Loneliness.

Now, the loneliness that Dr. Joiner writes isn't some sterile psychological construct. It is the same thing that you lot together with I know equally loneliness. It is the same loneliness that people have got experienced forever together with the same loneliness that Billy, Sting, together with Mariah sing about. Dr. Joiner's thesis is that men have got higher mortality rates because they are "the lonely sex." If I were to endure reductionist together with gendered it would brand sense that "Piano Man" together with "Message inwards the Bottle," songs written together with performed yesteryear men, ostensibly almost men, do a vivid project of conveying loneliness. It also makes sense that the vocal that talks almost how to endure un-lonely, or connected, was written together with performed yesteryear a woman.

But I'm non reductionist together with gendered, so let's displace on...

Dr. Joiner is the writer of the book, Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success published inwards 2011 yesteryear Palgrave Macmillan talks almost why men are so lonely. In today's episode of the social operate podcast, Dr. Joiner together with I speak almost biological together with social factors that contribute to men's' loneliness. We speak almost the effects of loneliness on men's wellness together with wellbeing, including the number of suicide. We speak almost how Dr. Joiner's enquiry speaks to women together with men who are non on the top – for illustration sexual together with racial minorities. We speak almost some of the solutions that Dr. Joiner proposes – including the Mariah Carey solution - reaching out. We terminate our conversation on a personal note. I tell Dr. Joiner that my married adult woman late gave nascence to twin boys. I inquire him what I tin flame do to preclude my sons from growing upwards together with becoming lonely men. He was form plenty to give me some gratis advice.

Before nosotros learn to the interview, I just wanted to say that 1 of the ironies of existence lonely inwards today's social club is that at that topographic point are a meg technologies that facilitate existence inwards touching amongst others. Even though Dr. Joiner is inwards Florida together with I'm inwards Pennsylvania, nosotros were able to have got this conversation face-to-face using webcams together with Skype – although at that topographic point is only an sound recording of this conversation. If you're on Facebook, you lot tin flame connect amongst thousands of other social workers on the Social Work Podcast Facebook page. If you lot have got a Twitter account, you lot tin flame learn updates on my Twitter feed almost upcoming episodes, together with data together with tidings stories that are relevant to social operate do together with yesteryear episodes of the social operate podcast. And of course, you lot tin flame read a transcript of today's interview together with learn resources links on the Social Work Podcast webpage at socialworkpodcast.com. So, without farther ado, on to episode lxx of the Social Work Podcast: Lonely at the Top: An Interview amongst Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.

Interview

Jonathan Singer: Well, Thomas cheers so much for existence hither today together with talking amongst us on almost your majority Lonely at the Top. In your majority you lot write, “Men are coddled together with spoiled inwards many ways, but it is non all vino together with roses. When it comes to death, illness, together with injury, men have got it on chin, together with women are left, relatively speaking unscathed; less affected, that is, yesteryear affliction injury, together with early on mortality” (p. 46). You attribute this deviation mainly to loneliness. How do you lot define loneliness together with Why is it "Lonely at the Top?"

Thomas Joiner: Well, loneliness - together with there's a sense inwards which it needs no Definition - you lot know, much similar hunger or fear. Everyone intuitively gets it. But I do think it's helpful to endure explicit together with a ability to do that amongst regard to the Definition of loneliness, the means I would do it is to say it's immutuality. There's a lack of mutuality, a lack of the coming together of the minds that I think truly does come upwards naturally to most people men together with women alike but when that’s disrupted, when there's a lack of that peopled mutual feeling, there's a truly big host of untoward consequences to that province of mind.

Jonathan Singer: You know, some other thing that you lot write is that “our biological scientific discipline is geared toward making socializing reinforcing” (p. 181). So if socializing, that social connection, right - the mutuality - is a basic biological truth or drive, so why would somebody who’s capable of socializing communicate to those around him “don’t connect amongst me?”

Thomas Joiner: Yeah. It's a cracking interrogation because I do think it's truthful that equally a species together with non just nosotros humans but nosotros primates and, you lot know, other animals for that affair equally good truly are designed for social connection. It's just a deep deep demand that nosotros have got together with a compelling aspect of human nature. So, it's a adept interrogation almost why would 1 grouping somehow have got to a greater extent than problems amongst that than another. With regard to men together with women, I think at that topographic point are few possible answers together with 1 has to do amongst biology. It's an amazing but truthful fact that manlike soul babies at historic flow 4 months, 5 months or half dozen months are already less interested inwards people than their woman soul counterparts so there's a form of biological scientific discipline at that topographic point just inwards price of what involvement together with girls learn interested inwards faces together with facial expressions together with things of that sort to a greater extent than so than boys whereas boys learn drawn to images or shapes together with patterns together with geometric patterns together with things of that nature to a greater extent than so than the girls. So, there's a form of starting out biological scientific discipline that tilts the trajectories for males toward an unpeopled domain to a greater extent than so than females together with so throughout life that’s soundless going on but so some social factors together with social processes boot inwards to farther exacerbate that early on trend.

Jonathan Singer: And so what would endure some of those social processes that exacerbate something that sounds form of almost innate from what you're describing?

Thomas Joiner: I think the seeds are really much innate but the processes that occurred afterward inwards life I think just encourage the flowering so to speak of these processes, you lot know, which is a picayune fleck of an unfortunate means to seat it because it's non a flowering it's truly – it's a negative process. For instance, I think equally you lot alluded to earlier, men are spoiled relatively speaking. They are relatively privileged together with spoiled together with so absorb an unfortunate lesson which is this is how it's ever going to be. I don’t have got to operate difficult to maintain or cultivate friendships, relationships, identify unit of measurement life. It's just going to happen. Everyone else tin flame have got aid of that. My attending has to endure focused rather on the things similar status together with wealth together with I think that’s the essential meat work is the focus on the things similar wealth together with status at the expense of cultivating together with nurturing relationship.

The successful people tin flame together with do, do both of those things simultaneously together with I think that’s a really legitimate recipe for life satisfaction. But if you lot sacrifice the 1 at the expense of the other, therein lies the path to distraction together with I think at that topographic point are biological together with social processes which encourage that style a picayune fleck to a greater extent than inwards men than inwards women. But I do desire to betoken out that it tin flame sure apply to anyone. It tin flame apply to women. It tin flame apply men of unlike socioeconomic status. It tin flame apply to anyone. But the declaration is form of probabilistic. It's to a greater extent than likely that this procedure volition apply to men than it volition to women on average, is 1 of the animating thesis of the book.

Jonathan Singer: And when you lot say that this process, you're talking almost the procedure of sort of intentionally pruning, you lot know, these social connections similar non keeping upwards amongst them or non making novel ones because there's the thought well, they'll ever endure there. I don’t have got to operate at it. I have got to worry almost status together with ability together with wealth. Did I empathize that correctly?

Thomas Joiner: Well, partly but the intentional – that’s an interesting concept almost how intentional this is. I gauge I’m suggesting is that the, you lot know, the active intentionality that the average human being pays to issues of status together with wealth, if that same human being paid the same form of intentional active attending to relationships, on average outcomes volition endure a lot better. But what a lot of men tend to do is learn into default mode, passive mode, pretty unintentional form of means when it comes to relationships together with just sort of allow that have got aid of itself assuming inwards a form of, you lot know, spoiled mental attitude that it should just endure taken aid of without whatever attempt or without whatever attending paid to it. Unfortunately, that’s often non what happens. Just similar amongst anything a garden or, you lot know, a flora if you lot fail it together with just assume that all volition endure well, often it's non well. Things wither together with so outcomes tin flame endure really bad together with that’s what the book, the majority Lonely at the Top is the squall of the majority that alluded to. That’s 1 of the essential arguments is that happens to everyone but it particularly tends to hap to men.

Jonathan Singer: So, I think it's, you lot know, this thought that it happens to everyone is truly interesting because, you lot know, equally social workers, you lot know, together with this is the Social Work Podcast together with fifty-fifty though nosotros have got listeners from all disciplines, you lot know, primarily social workers. But 1 of the things that nosotros truly emphasize inwards our social operate didactics is this thought of oppression together with sort of these exo-level factors that influence things, social norms, cultural values - together with patriarchy is 1 of those together with - so nosotros admit (social workers acknowledge) that clearly, you lot know, men are non alone beneficiaries of a patriarchal arrangement because clearly at that topographic point are men who are non at the top, right. You tin flame inquire gay men inwards the military, right - particularly until late - or men of color say who notice themselves passed over for hire or advertisement because of overt or covert racism. And at the same fourth dimension women are non alone at the bottom. So, how does some of the ideas that you’ve addressed inwards your majority inform our agreement of men who are non at the top together with women who are non at the bottom?

Thomas Joiner: The majority was truly designed originally together with remains a majority that was designed to reply all of those questions. It's truthful that the majority is called Lonely at the Top. The master championship together with business office of the championship for the showtime overview chapter is called The Lonely Sex together with I think inwards some ways that may capture the majority fifty-fifty ameliorate than Lonely at the Top because equally you lot rightly betoken out, yes, at that topographic point are sure issues of existence really successful so much so that you lot alienate yourself together with force others away. But loneliness sure is non unique to that demographic, non yesteryear whatever stretch of the imagination. And a lot of the majority is truly concerned amongst people who because of these same processes terminate upwards far from successful, terminate upwards really alienated together with really pathetic through the exact same processes that are described inwards the majority which also apply to people who hap to learn inwards at the top together with they also apply to truly whatever population, women, all sorts of men, it doesn’t truly matter.

But over again the probabilistic number is worth emphasizing because I think on average if you're told this happened to somebody this procedure of becoming spoiled, losing relationships together with so inwards the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s together with beyond, wellness deteriorating, alienation existence really high together with really untoward outcomes occurring having to do amongst things similar suicide. If you're told that that has happened together with you lot gauge that it's a man, you're going to endure right to a greater extent than times than non though over again it tin flame sure apply to other demographic groups.

Jonathan Singer: So, you lot just mentioned suicide together with I think this is, this is in all probability 1 of the most compelling things that you lot write almost inwards your book. Could you lot speak a picayune almost that, almost manlike soul suicide?

Thomas Joiner: Yeah. I think it's truly 1 of the most of import facts that form of starts the majority out is to remark – is to reverberate upon the fact that on the 1 mitt there's no dubiety almost manlike soul privilege together with males existence spoiled. I think you lot tin flame consider that inwards virtually every walk of similar together with I think it's 1 argue that social operate for instance rightly emphasizes those concerns almost patriarchy. You tin flame consider it wherever you lot look. So, it's really puzzling that that same grouping who are privileged would have got higher rates of anything negative. But they do across all sorts of wellness atmospheric condition together with suicide may endure the most staggering of all because it depends on the ground a picayune fleck but inwards the U.S. of A. of America the rates, you lot know, given that someone has died yesteryear suicide, the likelihood that that private is manlike soul is at to the lowest degree 80%, betwixt lxxx together with 85%. That’s a staggeringly unbalanced gender ratio. It's paradoxical, inwards a sense it's paradoxical that a really privileged grouping would have got a really disastrous resultant together with yet that is what happens together with that form of paradox is 1 thing that the majority sets out to explore together with to at to the lowest degree to a grade resolve.

Jonathan Singer: So, you're maxim that 80% of suicides are amidst men.

Thomas Joiner: Right.

Jonathan Singer: And hither nosotros are, we're talking almost men equally existence the most powerful together with privileged inwards full general inwards our social club together with yet they are the ones who killed themselves. And I think most people if they think almost it sort of offhand, nosotros think "oh people would kill themselves because they lack ability together with privilege together with economical resources together with those are the things that would brand their lives pathetic together with they wouldn’t desire to, they wouldn’t desire to live." And yet the people that have got the most are the ones that are killing themselves the most often.

Thomas Joiner: Well, I think there's a definite truth to misery together with to lack of resources existence factors inwards suicidal demeanour together with inwards decease yesteryear suicide. That definitely occurs. It occurs everyday. But that’s non equally paradoxical equally the fact that it also occurs that really privileged, high status wealthy individuals, at that topographic point is much to a greater extent than likely to have got also the disastrous consequences. And so there's got to endure a element at to the lowest degree yesteryear my reasoning, there's got to endure a element that explains why a privileged grouping would endure over represented inwards a really underprivileged phenomenon similar decease yesteryear suicide. There's something that explains why those 2 things that don’t seem to learn together truly do learn together together with my reply for that is loneliness. Loneliness tin flame explicate both phenomena. Loneliness definitely spurs suicidal demeanour together with if you lot have got the mental attitude that wealth together with status are to a greater extent than of import than anything, you're willing to sacrifice everything for them including relationships, you'll terminate upwards lonely together with so that’s where you lot consider the form of conjunction of these 2 forces together with you lot consider it inwards a lot of really negative wellness consequences. We've been talking almost decease yesteryear suicide rightly because it's a huge number but at that topographic point are other ones too, physical health, mental wellness together with on together with on together with on.

Jonathan Singer: I notice it amazing that it's possible that the thing nosotros tin flame betoken to that best explains this disparity is something equally uncomplicated equally loneliness. You know when you lot think almost suicide together with you lot think almost adventure factors together with at that topographic point are all these things, you lot know, they're similar 800,000 meg things that people are told to expect out for but you're maxim truly let's speak almost loneliness.

Thomas Joiner: I am maxim that it's, I think it's at to the lowest degree really plausible together with possible that this really complex scenario is after all attributable at to the lowest degree inwards business office to pretty uncomplicated together with parsimonious explanation having to do amongst loneliness. I do think that’s business office of what I’m arguing inwards the majority together with equally you lot striking on really precisely, I think the clinical implications of that are pretty interesting because it does trim the vast number of things that a clinician has to locomote along rail of inwards price of suicide risk. It starts to focus at clinician’s attending on loneliness inwards particular. I don’t think it all boils downward to loneliness inwards price of suicide adventure but I do think it's a really promising form of avenue for hereafter enquiry is to say – together with you lot tin flame document good over 200 suicide adventure factors. I think it's a really promising avenue to say of those 200 which are – it's just non manageable to locomote along rail of that equally a clinician, tin flame nosotros boil them downward to a handful that are manageable together with they're valid together with I think loneliness would definitely endure inwards that handful of factors.

Jonathan Singer: I think that’s absolutely amazing. Are you lot maxim that loneliness is a effect of existence at the top?

Thomas Joiner: Yeah. I mean, I think it is a consequence. It's a effect of the meat mental attitude of many men, again, non all together with sure this applies to women equally well, that meat mental attitude of it's okay to sacrifice relationships inwards monastic tell to gain wealth together with status. I just think that mental attitude is 1 that our civilization promotes a picayune fleck together with that is really alluring inwards some ways because wealth together with status are alluring together with indeed I think people should strive for them. I just don’t think people should do so at the extreme sacrifice together with expense of losing touching amongst their friends together with their families. So, that’s the essential procedure together with an resultant is feeling alienated together with lonely together with so inwards plough an resultant of that are all these at nowadays consequences together with nosotros talked almost suicide but at that topographic point are others also inwards the mental wellness together with physical wellness domain.

Jonathan Singer: In your majority you lot write that “a fatal flaw of yesteryear operate on men’s problems is that solutions are posed that could work, inwards principle, for the average person, but do non work, inwards practice, for actual men… My destination inwards this majority is to deliver on the hope to demonstrate the means out of this lonely morass via solutions men volition notice credible together with viable” (p. 44). I’m wondering, you lot know, what's existence done or what should endure done at diverse levels to address the issue?

Thomas Joiner: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 big business office of the number is that people that are attracted to our professions tend to endure extremely psychologically-minded. They're comfortable amongst psychological complexity. They're comfortable amongst their emotions, that form of thing. I think that’s a really very of import strength for mental wellness professionals but I don’t think it characterizes the average human being who live, you lot know, on farms inwards the Midwest or who operate inwards industries all throughout our ground because I think that’s been an essential work is for professionals similar us to imagine that what would operate for us would operate for everybody together with I interrogation that. And so that leads to the interrogation of well, what powerfulness operate for everybody together with I think that some parameters are just quite clear. One they have got to endure really very simple, else the prospect for dissemination broad role is really diminished.

And they have got to endure things that experience right, that experience credible to average people together with so those 2 parameters have got guided me towards things similar a focus on sleeping better. That sounds similar you lot would have got really picayune to do amongst loneliness but inwards fact at that topographic point is compelling enquiry showing that if you lot slumber better, you're a lot less lonely. If you're less lonely, you lot slumber better. It has this form of positive upward spiraling effect together with the reverse thing tin flame hap too. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 downward spiral of existence lonely can't sleep, getting fifty-fifty to a greater extent than lonely. It's a really uncomplicated behavioral targets together with approaches to improving slumber unremarkably known inwards our fields equally things equally slumber hygiene of really uncomplicated tips but that truly work. Those are the things that I’m attracted to hither because, you lot know, a typical human being may non speak to his physician or his or a mental wellness professional, maybe reluctant to speak almost things similar loneliness or depression or feeling suicidal but they'll speak almost slumber together with so that there's that, there's that other number of drawing people inwards to speak almost something that volition touching their mental wellness but they're comfortable of talking about. So, that’s 1 laid of things or things similar that.

Another laid has to a greater extent than to do specifically amongst loneliness together with it has to do amongst these really uncomplicated kinds of tips together with strategies together with habits that just brand people to a greater extent than socially connected. You know for instance, I’m influenced yesteryear the literature on gratitude together with some of that literature has things people – has people do uncomplicated things similar you lot only telephone phone inwards to a enquiry line every calendar week together with the project is only to tell the soul who answers the line. It’ll endure a stranger. It's just 1 of the enquiry staff together with your project is only to pass a yoke minutes, maybe 5 minutes max listing off things that happened inwards the terminal calendar week for which you lot are grateful. That’s all the intervention is together with there's some sort of comparing grouping together with the people who brand those gratitude calls equally brief equally they are to a stranger just 1 time a calendar week have got noticeably ameliorate physical wellness together with mental health, things similar lower blood pressure, things like, you lot know, lower anger scores rather.

So these things are doable. They're viable. They're credible to the usual private inwards the street so to speak together with so those are the kinds of things that I truly emphasize inwards the majority equally ways frontward on non just, non truly just on the theme of loneliness but truly to a greater extent than fifty-fifty on broader theme of just well-being together with mental wellness together with physical wellness generally.

Jonathan Singer: So, it sounds similar there's some basic, you lot know, biological things you lot tin flame do. You tin flame slumber better. Probably there's something around eating or that sort of materials but so there's the social aspect together with what you're talking almost calling into a enquiry line is truly reaching out to somebody. It doesn’t fifty-fifty have got to be, you lot know, a best friend. It would just endure somebody inwards saying, you lot know, these are the things I’m grateful for.

Thomas Joiner: Yes. And it tin flame fifty-fifty effect things like, you lot know, similar people’s blood operate together with their blood pressure level together with that’s, you lot know, that’s impressive to me that non only are nosotros getting effects through those studies on things like, you lot know, feeling a picayune fleck ameliorate emotionally, feeling a picayune less depressed which is extremely of import but it's non only that, it's caring farther than that to the trunk where people are, you lot know, their blood operate looks better. Their blood pressure level gets better. That’s truly impressive together with it isn't, it is worth emphasizing that that how picayune it takes to learn those gangs calling 1 time a calendar week somebody that you lot don’t fifty-fifty truly know powerfulness endure plenty to do it. If that’s truthful so reaching out to people who you lot do know, your friends, your identify unit of measurement together with doing it more, you lot know, oftentimes than just 1 time a calendar week stands to argue that that powerfulness give you lot fifty-fifty to a greater extent than do goodness together with it's non that difficult to do.

That’s form of a mantra of the majority equally good equally whatever intervention that volition encourage individuals to demonstrate up, attain out together with bring together inwards are going to aid them inwards this domain of loneliness together with inwards price of just good existence together with wellness generally. And at that topographic point are a lot of therapies equally you lot pointed out over the decades that have got contained these kinds of things but they’ve also gotten really very really complex inwards improver to all that together with that’s some other form of gist of lonely at the top is to say let's have got out the active ingredients particularly ones that are really uncomplicated together with really doable, really teachable. Let's concentrate on those because if nosotros learn to a greater extent than complex than that, nosotros powerfulness non endure able to disseminate this to all the people who truly demand it.

Jonathan Singer: I think it's fascinating thinking almost implications for senior community centers or nursing homes or assisted living instead of elaborate, you lot know, interventions just saying, you lot know, to some of the older men maybe. Hey, you lot know, it's okay to brand a telephone phone 1 time a hateful solar daytime fifty-fifty if it's for a yoke of minutes together with just depository fiscal establishment fit inwards amongst somebody or leave of absence a message maybe. That that could maybe have got life altering affects.

Thomas Joiner: I agree. It's fascinating together with really likely truthful that something equally uncomplicated equally a daily telephone phone for a yoke of minutes volition brand a really big deviation together with there's a form of classic report inwards that same form of setting where the only manipulation was the resident of the domicile was told that he or she has to have got aid of a occupation solid flora together with so the other one-half of the grouping were told the flora is at that topographic point but don’t worry we'll have got aid of it. And believe or not, those 2 groups differed inwards survival rates over the next interval amongst the people who are actively reaching out together with having to tend to the flora aid for it had ameliorate survival rates than those who also had a flora but just weren’t caring for it, the staff were. Now, if something similar that tin flame brand deviation so reaching out, you lot know, beyond plants to people, to loved ones, to friends together with identify unit of measurement or to pets for that matter, you lot know, all of that I think has truly interesting potentially life saving implications.

Jonathan Singer: That’s amazing. You know, I just have got 2 to a greater extent than questions hither together with I appreciate you lot taking the fourth dimension to speak almost this theme that, you lot know, equally we're talking I realized is just non something I've thought much about, you lot know, because it's tardily to think almost men have got it all. But, of course, you lot know, having it all doesn’t necessarily hateful that they're ameliorate off.

Thomas Joiner: Right. And that’s 1 another, you lot know, destination of the majority is I do think it's only natural that a lot of this has flown nether the radar for a long fourth dimension because, you lot know, stereotypical masculinity doesn’t truly learn along amongst caring almost loneliness or whatever of that form of stuff. So, it makes sense to me that it would wing nether the radar but I do think bringing in, you lot know, to the surface together with examining it shows that, you lot know, non only is this relevant but it's potentially life, literally life saving. You know, again, non sure to include men but for everybody. We're just gregarious creatures together with nosotros demand 1 another. Any procedure that disrupts that is going to endure really potentially great.

Jonathan Singer: So, I have got a question: My married adult woman just gave nascence to twin boys non also long ago. I hear you lot talking about, you lot know, getting slumber or taking aid of a occupation solid flora or calling a enquiry line, these are all things that men tin flame do… WHEN THEY ARE MEN. Now, is at that topographic point anything I tin flame do for my boys?

Thomas Joiner: Yeah. I've had parents, you lot know, the majority came out just a yoke of weeks agone together with I've had parents spontaneously electronic mail me together with this was non my top dog intention inwards writing the majority but it's happened nonetheless together with the gist of the electronic mail is along those really lines. I've got sons, what tin flame I do at nowadays to brand sure this doesn’t hap to my sons together with over again I’m attracted to really concrete uncomplicated things together with so inwards that same fashion or same direction, I would say that just modeling for children that, you lot know, relationships are essential. They're equally essential equally money, in all probability to a greater extent than so. They're equally essential equally status together with similar coin together with status, they don’t come upwards for free. You have got to operate for them together with they're worth working for. I just think that parents tin flame model that inwards their ain lives amongst their ain friends together with identify unit of measurement together with so certainly, you lot know, betwixt parents together with children. I think that could learn a long means to easing these trajectories onto a to a greater extent than manageable path.

Jonathan Singer: So, maybe 1 of the things that I tin flame do is I tin flame model for my kids that I’m giving my friends a call, you lot know, but that I’m truly having meaningful connectedness amongst other men together with women.

Thomas Joiner: Absolutely. I think it's essential to model that. I mean, it's essential to the private for aid equally a top dog declaration of the majority but it has this really positive secondary effect of modeling to everyone around you lot including children. This is so vital together with so essential that I’m going to prioritize it. It's non necessarily going to endure the top dog priority of my entire life: you lot are, my kids are, you lot know, my sons are also supporting that family. It's really of import that I’m non suggesting neglecting whatever of that. I’m only suggesting elevating human relationship tillage to that same flat because it deserves to endure there.

Jonathan Singer: Thomas, I desire to give cheers you lot so much for existence hither on the Social Work Podcast together with talking almost your novel book, equally you lot said just came out a yoke of weeks ago, Lonely at the Top.

Thomas Joiner: Well, I’m really grateful to you lot Jonathan. This is a terrific thing that you're doing together with I’m happy to endure a little business office of it.

--END--

Resources together with References

Joiner, T. E. (2011). Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 



APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:

Singer, J. B. (Host). (2011, Dec 5). Lonely at the top: Interview amongst Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. [Episode 70]. Social Work Podcast. Podcast retrieved Month Day, Year, from /search?q=lonely-at-top-interview-with-thomas
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