Talking SMART, Season 1 Episode 4: Taking on the loneliness epidemic

We hear about anxiety, stress and burnout all the time, but loneliness — the feeling of being cut off or unseen, even when surrounded by others — has become one of the most serious public health challenges of our time, and it’s hitting working people hard. Loneliness impacts every element of a person’s life, from their happiness at home to their ability to do their job.

To help us understand the loneliness epidemic and what we can do about it, we’re joined by Dr. Michael Barnes, head of the Michael Barnes Family Behavioral Institute and a member of SMART Local 15. Dr. Barnes works with SMART to assist members with mental health, substance abuse and peer support, including initiatives like the SMART MAP, and he is a leading expert in the field. In this episode, he discusses resources available to SMART members and the importance of putting solidarity into practice in order to help members feel less alone. SMART membership can be an antidote to loneliness, as long as we ALL work to make sure our brothers and sisters feel welcomed in our union.

“We can be the answer to loneliness for a lot of people, but we can also be the opposite of that,” Barnes said, adding: “People do care, and it is our responsibility to self-assess. If we’re lonely, if we’re struggling, there are services. It’s a matter of having the courage to ask. There are risks; the other side of that is for individuals who don’t have risks to recognize that they don’t have to have a PHD to help someone.”

This season of Talking SMART focuses exclusively on mental health and the resources available to SMART members. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast program.

Talking SMART brings listeners the voice, stories and power of SMART union members across North America. Members are invited to send feedback and questions to [e-mail].