What does it mean to be lonely, and what can we do about it? On this episode of Top of Mind, psychiatrist Dr. Frank Clark explains why loneliness is a public health issue and why it doesn’t always look the way we expect. Charlotte Donlon, author of The Great Belonging, explores loneliness as a longing for belonging, while game designer Matt Fantastic shares how his board-game shop is creating a “third space” where strangers can connect. Together, they ask whether loneliness is something to solve, something to listen to, or both. GUESTS Dr. Frank Clark, psychiatrist at Prisma-Health Upstate, clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville (https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/authors/frank-clark-md). Matt Fantastic, co-owner of Elm City Games in New Haven, Connecticut (https://www.elmcitygames.com/). Charlotte Donlon, spiritual director and author of The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other (https://charlottedonlon.com/the-great-belonging-book). CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (2:30) Loneliness as Epidemic (8:17) Defining Loneliness (10:40) Health Risks Explained (16:54) Meaning Purpose Prescription (20:34) Finding Third Spaces (25:41) Matt Fantastic Origins (26:21) Opening Elm City Games (28:55) Third Space Magic (34:43) Loneliness as Signal (36:30) Meet Charlotte Donlon (37:30) Belonging Defines Loneliness (40:03) Art as Belonging (43:57) Spiritual Loneliness (47:24) Living with Loneliness (49:35) Talking About It (51:11) Conclusion

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