What about loneliness “cures”?

I’ve tried loneliness cures. I actually spent a week swallowing a loneliness potion, trying to recover a promised sense of connectedness. All the stuff did was leave me really, really high.

I haven’t tried all the “cures for loneliness” that are available, but I know what’s out there. I’ve seen spells being offered, and instant telephone counselling, and self-esteem manuals that promise to somehow turn you into a completely different, nonlonely person.

I think the abundance of loneliness “cures” says a lot about how many people are feeling lonely, and about how little serious thought is given to ending the state. Absurd loneliness potions and “spells” are able to proliferate because we don’t take loneliness seriously. Dim-witted responses are available online because we’re used to thinking about loneliness as an oddity, a minor deal.

If the real significance of loneliness is recognized—if we realize that the state can skew perceptions, lead to dementia, and undermine the immune system—then the notion of relying on magic (sorry, that’s “Magick!”) spells shows itself as the charade it actually is.

There are ways of dealing with loneliness—real, tested ways, but they don’t scream themselves out on the Internet, they aren’t effortless, and they aren’t instantaneous. But they’re a lot more honest and kind to the lonely than the “cures” that exist online.