Friendship: Good for the Body, Good for the Soul
What Do The Experts Say?
According to research studies, our brains are programmed to receive unexpected rewards and pleasures. Friendship is the foundation of many of these unexpected pleasures, such as a spontaneous game of racquetball, a spur-of-the moment decision to see a movie, and an outpouring of praise for something we did well.
According to RealAge.com, a long-term, loving relationship can reduce a person’s “Real Age” by as many as 6-1/2 years. Such a statistic is not to be taken lightly. A study by McClelland and fellow Harvard researchers concluded that once people establish an “affiliative connection”—a relationship of friendship, love, or other positive bonding—they feel emotions that positively affect their immune systems. Further studies by others at Harvard seem to confirm this conclusion.
In 1997, Grace Ann of Ohio was diagnosed with cancer. Seeking a better life, she, her husband, and children had immigrated to the United States from Ireland just one year earlier. They had left behind all their security and support systems, and at the time of the diagnosis, they had not yet established any in their new country. However, after her diagnosis, Grace wisely sought support.
Grace asked a social agency for assistance; it referred her to a local support group. Grace attended the support group four times per week and bonded instantly with other members. Many of them were cancer survivors who gave her hope. Grace was grateful for their support, which saw her through many months of therapy and its debilitating effects. Grace says of her new friends, "They were all so very kind. They did so much for me, like provided me and my family with nourishing meals. It was as if I had known them all of my life. They did wonderful and practical things that really meant so much to me and my family."
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