A Cry Unheard: New Insights into the Medical Consequences of Loneliness (Hardcover)

by James Lynch (Author) "Thirty years ago, anyone blaming loneliness for physical illness would have been laughed at," the editors of Newsweek observed in a March 1998 cover story..." (more)
Key Phrases: human petting, links between loneliness, person petted, United States, The Broken Heart, American Heart Association (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
We're a lonely society. Twenty-five percent of American households consist of one person living alone; 50 percent of American marriages end in divorce (affecting more than a million children); 30 percent of American births in 1991 were to unmarried women. These factors are linked to an increased risk of premature death, according to loneliness specialist James J. Lynch, Ph.D., who has spent almost four decades clarifying how loneliness contributes to a marked increased risk of developing premature coronary heart disease. "Mortality rates in the United States for all causes of death, and not just for heart disease, are consistently higher for divorced, single, and widowed individuals of both sexes and all races," writes Lynch in A Cry Unheard: New Insights into the Medical Consequences of Loneliness.

An important point in this book is that loneliness in childhood has "a significant impact on the incidence of serious disease and premature death decades later in adulthood." School failure is a major contributor to this problem. Children who fail in school are socially isolated and deficient in the language and communications skills that could help them overcome their isolation. Lynch also explores the links between loneliness and premature death, and describes the biological power of human dialogue--which, he says, is more intimate than sexual intercourse, because dialogue involves the heart, not just the body. This is not a fluffy, feel-good book. There are no quick tips, no instant relief from loneliness, no "do now" lists of activities. This book is for readers willing to delve into the subject of loneliness and health risk. Lynch wants you to understand the magnitude of the problem, which he presents in a style that is both academic (with plenty of statistics and graphs) and accessible. He also wants you to understand the complex solution: contact, companionship, and communication. --Joan Price

From Library Journal
Psychologist Lynch's The Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences of Loneliness (1977) was the pioneering work that linked mental and emotional states to physical well-being. In A Cry Unheard, he expands on the connection between the stress of loneliness and the state of one's health. Drawing from his own and others' research, Lynch contends that loneliness has become a silent epidemic, leading to depression and early death. He points out that parents' use of language and school failure can result in alienation and antisocial behavior, which sow the seeds of loneliness. And while we may seem more "connected" through technology, Lynch warns that technology-induced loneliness is likely to increase and result in even more medical problems. Loneliness, writes Lynch, is a lethal but avoidable poison. While not a "how-to" book, this is worthy of inclusion in larger consumer health collections.
-Valeria Long, Van Andel Research Inst., Grand Rapids, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 345 pages
• Publisher: Bancroft Press (June 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890862118
• ISBN-13: 978-1890862114
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #249,854 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, insightful book, March 17, 2007

By	SouthTemple (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book and was really awed at some of Dr. Lynch's comments and research. It is a gentle and profound book that looks at the physiological aspects of loneliness. Some of his observations are brilliant, I felt. I especially appreciated his research into the affects of early trauma, and our bodies' reactions as we talked about it. Interesting that bodies remember the early psychological effects, even if we consciously don't remember. While we might intuitively believe that to be true, his research was good evidence of its truth.

I am glad that Dr. Lynch is doing this research. It has great potential for many aspects of medicine, as well as psychotherapy. Kudos to Dr. Lynch!

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book on an overlooked topic., October 19, 2008

By	Vincent J. Felitti, MD "Vincent J. Felitti, MD" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is an interesting, important, and well-written book on a subject that is overlooked, often perhaps out of embarrassment. The emotional consequences of loneliness are neither surprising nor unexpected. It is the biomedical consequences that are the surprise, and which are so infrequently identified because their roots are concealed in time and then protected by shame, by secrecy, and by social taboos against exploring certain areas of human experience. "A Cry Unheard" would be a good purchase by, or a gift for, any practicing physician.
Vincent J. Felitti, MD