Did You Know You Can Inherit Loneliness?
Can genes make you lonely ? Yes, if you're also prone to being neurotic and depressed, according to newswise.com. It turns out loneliness is a heritable trait, but no one gene is responsible. And it may not be as bad as all that. Loneliness is linked to poor physical and mental health, and is an even more accurate predictor of early death than obesity, the web site reports. To better understand who is at risk, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine conducted the first genome-wide association study for loneliness — as a life-long trait, not a temporary state. They discovered that risk for feeling lonely is partially due to genetics, but environment plays a bigger role. Just as physical pain alerts us to potential tissue damage and motivates us to take care of our physical bodies, loneliness — triggered by a discrepancy between an individual’s preferred and actual social relations — is part of a biological warning system that has evolv...