Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt the need to talk to someone? Has the company of someone else ever brighten a day of yours that was not going so well?
Source: Youtube/Whats Up Dude
We have all experienced this feeling at some point in our lives. We constantly need to interact and share our feelings with other people. It is extremely common for people to feel helpless and closed-up if they have not been exposed to human interaction for a long period of time.
Scientific research indicates that social interactions are vital to good health. Good social support from your friends and family help with difficult situations and unexpected changes in life. Scientific research provides support for the idea that lonely people are more likely to suffer from depression and cardiovascular problems. Knowing that we are valued by someone else can help us forget about the negatives and obtain a positive outlook in life.
Social Interaction http://www.apa.org/action/science/social/index.aspx
This concept is particularly evident with seniors that lack human interactions. The health of these seniors is at risk since they experience a higher likelihood of depression, limited motivation to engage in physical activity and experience higher blood pressure. Consequently, these factor could contribute to pre-mature death.
The risk of Alzheimer’s disease has been shown to decrease with increased social interaction between seniors, this is not yet to be explained but scientists theorize that the brain develops more cell-to-cell connections from social interactions, therefore protecting it from the impacts of Alzheimer related changes.
Source: Youtube/Vidya-mitra
Although there are many benefits to social interactions, there are also negative impacts, this is especially the case if the reference group exhibits anti-social behaviour, including drug and alcohol abuse. This type of toxic relationship can lead to devastating outcomes on a person’s mental and physical health, which could lead to depression, and premature death.
Anti-Social Behaviours Source: https://psychlopaedia.org/society/what-is-anti-social-behaviour/
Staying socially active and maintaining your relationships are an important part of healthy aging. Reach out to your loved ones—neighbors, friends, family members—and stay as vibrant, active, and social as you’ve always been.
-Cyndi Yan
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