People who need people

Friendship is a buffer against loneliness, depression, and illness. Compassionate, loving, and fun relationships offer women protection against major depression. A well-built, supportive network of friends makes us feel safer. It's a proven fact that friendship is good medicine and science is even catching on to this. Study after study prove that female bonds can protect against life's adversities. When women build strong, sustaining networks, they reduce stress and unhappiness. The hormone oxytocin, which affects our mood, is elevated when we are enjoying ourselves. When our stress levels are lower, we are better wives and mothers. We heal faster from wounds, our immune systems become stronger, and this even protects us from dementia.

Social contacts are incredibly important to us. Where would we be without empathy from others? What happens when we have no opportunities to discuss our troubles or difficulties with friends? It can lead to a vicious cycle of loneliness and the blues. It begins with isolation. When you're all alone, it's easier to be inactive and eat poorly. An isolated person is less likely to take care of herself, which can weaken the immune system and lead to depression. Therefore, social isolation plays a significant role in physical and mental health.

Worldwide, researchers have proven that social ties protect us against many ills, including (but not limited to) depression and high blood pressure. Venting to our trusted friends reduces our levels of stress hormones, so having friends is truly good for our health.

Melissa Healy, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times wrote an article titled, Our Innate Need for Friendship. Healy's significant research turned up study after study on the health benefits of friendship. In one case, a large survey of Swedes, age 75 and older, showed that the risk of developing dementia was lowest in men and women who maintained a wide variety of satisfying contacts with friends and relatives. I’ve always suspected that the busier a person was with family and an eventful social life, the longer their mind stayed sharp. Here in this article I found that researchers confirmed what I only suspected. They said that the mental exercise of juggling many relationships kept the brains of those with rich social networks in better tone. This May 9, 2005 article went on to say that male friendship is not the same. Men rely heavily on their wives to ward off the corrosive health effects of loneliness. Married men are markedly healthier and live longer than bachelors or widowers. Married women, by contrast, are only slightly better off than unmarried women or widows when it comes to health and social support. Researchers attribute the difference to women's greater reliance on friendships outside of marriage. These friendships make women's support networks broader, deeper and more resilient than the webs of support that men have. According to Healy's research, "For women, friendship not only rules, it protects. It buffers the hardships of life's transitions; it lowers blood pressure, boosts immunity and promotes healing. It may explain one of medical science's most enduring mysteries: why women on average have lower rates of heart disease and longer life expectancies than men."

Melissa Healy's entire article