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ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER by Mamie Healey 
It can make you sick, destroy your sleep, raise your blood pressure and shorten your life. Loneliness isn't just a temporary pang—it's a chronic emotional state that affects up to 15 percent of us. What one expert has called "the Antarctica of the soul" is finally starting to get the attention it deserves.
Take the Quiz Are you lonely? Determine your loneliness quotient. Although almost every human being in history has been lonely, most of us aren't so great at helping someone else through it. Robert Weiss, PhD, the godfather of loneliness research, says once loneliness abates, amnesia sets in. Having forgotten the intensity of their own experience, many people cavalierly offer advice that would have sent them over the edge—"Be more outgoing!" or "Chin up!"—to others still struggling. Get advice on how to support a lonely friend. 
Read more about loneliness in the June 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Subscribe now!
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