The Epidemic of Loneliness: The Silent Agony and the Fix That Actually Works

You’re not alone when loneliness sneaks in—yet that’s exactly what stings the most. It’s the invisible weight in the room, the shame that makes us pretend we’re okay when we’re not. And because of that shame, most people stay quiet. They don’t reach out. They don’t ask for help. They carry it all alone, despite its prevalence - there is an epidemic of loneliness.

The World Health Organization has now declared loneliness a global public health threat with impacts on health equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. One in six people worldwide say they feel lonely—and those numbers are even higher for youth and older adults. But here’s the real problem: it’s not just the loneliness. It’s the stigma. The belief that loneliness means something is wrong with you. And that’s what keeps people stuck.

What if loneliness wasn’t something to hide?

Imagine if people in your workplace or community could say “I’m lonely” without fear of judgment. Imagine the weight that would lift. The connections that would form. The energy that would return when people no longer had to waste their emotional bandwidth pretending.

Instead of feeling like they need to tough it out alone, people would begin to see themselves in one another. They’d realize loneliness isn’t a personal failure—it’s a signal. And that signal can guide us back to something essential: the need to belong.

Why most attempts to fix the epidemic of loneliness fall flat

Internalized shame: Even talking about loneliness feels risky.
Surface-level fixes: Social events or wellness days can feel hollow without real relationship-building.
Disconnected decision-making: Many solutions are built without ever asking people with lived experience what they need.

This is why so many well-meaning efforts don’t land. If you don’t deal with stigma, you’re just rearranging chairs on the deck of the ship.

What Belonging Matters does differently

The Belonging Matters Conversations (BMC) process was designed specifically to address the internalization of stigma and shame. Through a series of facilitated sessions, people with lived experience gather in trusted cohorts to reflect on what home and belonging mean to them, to name their priority challenges, and to co-create solutions.

The Epidemic of Loneliness - Belonging Matters Conversations

From there, they build something powerful together—what we call visual legacies. These might be posters, art, videos, or even memes—but the point is, their insights get captured and elevated. The process restores dignity. And it works.

One example: families living with cerebral palsy came together through BMC to share their truths, build connection, and generate momentum. Over time, what started as a cohort of youth living with cerebral palsy turned into a leadership movement, with some members now recognized internationally for their advocacy. You can read more here.

What makes it effective (and scalable)

Proven impact: BMC has helped families, health teams, Indigenous communities, municipalities, and more—shifting isolation into action.
Rooted in evidence: Our approach aligns with WHO’s Commission on Social Connection and leverages lived-experience leadership, values-based dialogue, and cross-cultural understanding.
Designed for real change: We work with organizations to build capacity from within—so change sticks.

The cost of doing nothing? It’s steep.

When you don’t address stigma, people stay silent. That silence turns into burnout, absenteeism, disengagement, and worsening mental health. Organizations pay for it—whether in turnover, declining team morale, or strained community relationships. And the people who need support the most remain invisible.

Your next move? Make the shift real.

If you're a decision-maker who’s serious about tackling loneliness—not just performing inclusion—let’s talk. We’ll help you move from surface strategies to something transformational. From quiet suffering to co-created solutions that restore dignity and build belonging.

→ Book a strategy call to explore how Belonging Matters can help your team, organization, or community build connections that last.

TALK TO US ABOUT BUILDING CONNECTIONS

Tags:

Health threat, Loneliness, Shame, Stigma

About the Author:

Melissa Gunstone

Melissa Gunstone is a Culture & Belonging Strategist who works with non-profits, corporations, and HR leaders to help them strengthen their equity and inclusion efforts. Through thoughtful consultation, she uncovers each organization's priority challenges and connects them with Jessie Sutherland’s award-winning Belonging Matters approach (a series that transformed the culture of the non-profit she was working in). Melissa ensures that every organization she works with is aligned with the right tools, programs, and supports to expand what's already working—and make meaningful, lasting change.

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