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That statistic about loneliness hitting harder after 40 caught me off guard
I stumbled on a study from the Journal of Health and Social Behavior that says people over 40 report higher rates of chronic loneliness than younger groups, even when surrounded by family. I always figured loneliness was a young person's problem, tied to being single or starting out. But here I am at 45, with a spouse and kids, and I feel more isolated than I did in my 20s. It's like everyone expects me to have it together, so I plaster on a smile and nod along. Has anyone else here felt that gap between what you show and what's really going on?
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rowan96918h ago
Oh man, that study hit me like a ton of bricks too. I'm 47 and the other day I was at a family dinner, laughing at my sister's joke while my brain was just screaming "is this it?" into a void nobody else can see. I've actually perfected my "everything is fine" smile so well that my wife once told me I looked "so relaxed" right when I was having a quiet panic about how disconnected I feel. So yeah, I get that gap you're talking about - it's like we're all wearing masks at our own party. Am I the only one who's gotten really good at nodding along to conversations while mentally planning my escape route?
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