The medical value of relationships

We form many relationships in life. In classrooms, professors teach students. On campus, we hang out with friends to pass time. In the business world, professional relationships foster deals. While superficially the purpose of these relationships are just as what it seems, medically, relationships also lessen our emotional stress, which directly impact our health.

During senior year in high school, for a period of time, I fell in a period of depression, perhaps due to the gloomy winter, pressure from college applications, lack of close social ties, or a combination of all.  I was physically weak, getting sick from the cold easily.  My emotions was weaker - always in one pessimistic mood or another anxious mood.  There was no end in sight for this depression cycle.  It seems things are only getting worse.  However, to make the story short, I got out of this cycle just by talking to one of my close friends about how I felt.  Months of depression solved over a cup of coffee in one afternoon.

Scientists have finally starting to realize the importance of the psychological or emotional aspect of an illness.  Science magazine states that social isolation increases mortality risk by a factor of 2.0 compared to 1.6 for smoking.  What's more is that isolation is harder on men than on women, perhaps because women's relationships tend to be emotionally closer than men's.  A vivid example among patients who survived transplants tells the healing power of friendships.  Fifty-four percent of patients who felt strong emotional support from their spouse, family, or friends survived the translant after two years versus 20 percent of patients who felt little support.

With all the stories and facts, I would like to take this time to appreciate my close friends for taking their time listening to my worries, offering condolence, and being around to battle boredom.  These little things are often overlooked, but have significant impact on people's lives (literally it can add years).  Lastly I would like to leave with a quote from John Cacioppo, an ex-Ohio State University psychologist, now at University of Chicago: "It's the most important relationships in your life, the people you see day in and day out, that seem to be crucial for your health.  And the more significant the relationship is in your life, the more it matters for your health."


Reference:
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman