Loneliness – the Other Pandemic
September 23, 2021
Hosted by Gord Riddell, RP with Co-Host Alexia Georgousis, ND
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Episode Description
At no time in the history of Humanity have we been more connected. Just over a hundred years ago, the telephone was invented. It was in 1927, the first transatlantic overseas call was made. Now, we can call anywhere in world but that’s old technology. Today we can call, text, video call, zoom conference with multiple people (as in hundreds) all at the same time. The click of a button and we are talking and seeing anyone from anywhere on our planet. In spite of these technological achievements, loneliness has reached epic proportions worldwide. Alone and lonely are very different things, one, alone, is a choice and can be glorious. Loneliness, however, is a perceptual feeling that experiences a lack of connections, or more specifically, quality relationships. The rise of loneliness was well researched long before Covid-19 debuted, which has only exacerbated our loneliness through isolation and physical distance. It has reached such levels that the UK. in 2017, appointed an elected member of parliament to be the Minister of Loneliness, sounds very Orwellian but it is just that dangerous. Loneliness can cause high blood pressure, cardiac disorders, hormonal imbalances as the stress hormone, cortisol, continually floods the body. Depression and anxiety, both result from and contribute to, loneliness. It is complex. Our behaviours to deal with loneliness include overeating, increased alcohol and substance use, sleep disorders, all of which leads to early death from a number of causes including suicide. Loneliness is as dangerous to our health as obesity or smoking a pack of cigarettes a day! Surprisingly the most affected group by age is not the elderly, it is the millennial and Z-generation groups and then we go to the elderly as the next largest group. The worst element to loneliness and trying to get people to reach out is the stigma it carries. There is an enormous amount of shame in admitting that we are lonely. Join us as we discuss the complex experience of loneliness and also ways we can deal with it.
Things Worth Considering
Thursday at 5 PM Pacific Time/8 PM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
This is a show about connections. Connections to your self, your spirit, your feelings and your story. One of the most powerful healing tools we have is our connections. Connect to your intuition and explore your AHA moments. Discover how we get in our own way and how we can overcome obstacles to move on. How we think, what we think, what we believe, and our attitudes define how we experience our life. The fascinating idea that we shape our reality to what we believe it should be, in our minds. How we connect to our families, our aging family members and slowly we become caregivers, not caretakers.
Embracing the reality of aging, not into senior citizens but living the archetypal Elder, the Wise One. Living the Spiritual idea of being of service but not being someone’s servant. As we explore the many roads of the human journey with our guests, we will connect to each other by embracing many of the mysteries of life and there we arrive at things worth considering.
Gord Riddell, RP with Co-Host Alexia Georgousis, ND
July 1988, Gord Riddell, with another member, signed Transformational Arts College into existence. Greatly influenced by his grandmother’s mediumship and her role as a Pastor, Gord followed somewhat in her footsteps with a few detours enroute. Attending York and the University of Toronto, he found his niche at the Spiritual Sciences Institute. Some 32 years later, he is President of Transformational Arts College, a Registered Psychotherapist, Instructor and Clinical Supervisor. He is a Spiritual Director with a specialty in End of Life Care. He is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and Spiritual Directors International. An international teacher he brings humour, storytelling, inclusiveness, and a directness that his audiences embrace.
Dr. Alexia Georgousis is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Conscious Awareness Facilitator. In addition to her private practice, Alexia is on Faculty at Transformational Arts College in Toronto. A graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, she went on to become the Associate Dean of Clinical Studies at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in British Columbia. Alexia's life and work are influenced by her belief in the integration of mind, body and spirit through consciousness and Earth Medicine. Her innate kindness and welcoming smile invariably invite you to share in her humour, curiosity and belief that we are all meant to thrive.
