People First Radio – July 17, 2025People First Radio – July 17, 2025
People First Radio
Conversations with journalist Julia Hotz, project lead Kirsten Schuld and professor Laura Iramian look at social prescribing, loneliness and life with few or no friends. The episode links community connection, health services and personal stories of isolation and autonomy.
0:00•18 Jul 2025
Connection Cures, Friendless Lives and Social Prescribing on People First Radio
Episode Overview
- Social prescribing links patients to activities like art classes, cooking workshops or sports, based on what matters to them rather than just symptoms.
- Programmes in Nanaimo connect adults 55+ with a community connector who can accompany them to activities and support them in sticking with new routines.
- Examples from Canada and abroad suggest social prescribing can reduce emergency visits and free up doctors to focus on clinical issues.
- Interviews with people who have few or no friends show a tension between painful loneliness and a valued sense of autonomy and self-reliance.
- Strong stigma around friendlessness can make people question their self-worth, even when they feel reasonably content with a solitary life.
“The whole ethos is about shifting from healthcare focusing on what’s the matter with you to what matters to you.”
Curious about how others manage their connection to community and health? This summer episode of People First Radio zooms in on social prescribing and what it means to live with few or no friends, all framed through calm, thoughtful conversations. First up, journalist and author Julia Hotz sits down with host Joe Pugh at a Nanaimo café to chat about social prescribing – the idea that doctors can refer people to community activities instead of just pills or tests.
Hotz explains, “The whole ethos is about shifting from healthcare focusing on what’s the matter with you to what matters to you.” She shares stories from her book *The Connection Cure*, including Victoria, a young woman whose panic attacks and loneliness eased when a social worker referred her to a Black-focused programme with art, culture and community at its heart. The episode also spotlights how social prescribing is being rolled out in Nanaimo.
Project lead Kirsten Schuld breaks down how a simple referral can connect adults 55+ with a “link worker” who might literally walk them to a pottery class or sit beside them on day one. It’s practical, low-key, and aimed at people who feel isolated, depressed or just plain lonely. Then the focus shifts to another uncomfortable question: what if someone has no friends at all?
Dalhousie professor Laura Iramian talks about interviews with 21 people who identify as having few or no friends. Many felt torn: they hurt from isolation yet prized the freedom and self-reliance it gave them. One participant’s line hits hard: if there’s no one to talk to, what’s the point of taking prescriptions? This episode is a good fit if you’re interested in mental health, recovery, or just wondering where connection fits into a healthier life.
It gently asks: is there a different way your community, or your own habits, could help you feel less alone?
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