Social Relationships And Social Support

In All Kinds of Friends by Judith Viorst, she explains how there is six type of friends: Convenience friends, Special-interest friends, Historical friends, Cross-generational friends, and Close friends. The one friendship that I can relate to the most would be to a close friend. The one person that I consider to be a close friend would be a tiny little Asian named Brittney. We met during our junior year of high school. How we came to be friends was through a basketball teammate that introduce us while we were hanging out.

The ways in which a family communicates messages with each other plays a key role in shaping the lives of each individual family member. Humans have always belonged to and identified with their families even before they could speak or form any other social group. Family members not only rely on each other to be there for emotional and social support, but also shape how individuals identify themselves. Therefore, the quality of family relationships greatly impacts the quality of life for most people. (Koerner & Schrodt, 2014)

High-quality social relationships, wherein people experience camaraderie and happiness, yield substantial health benefits. For instance, social ties such as marriage and religious involvement have been linked to healthier choices with diet and exercise, possibly because these connections promote positive behavioral norms (Umberson and Montez, 2010). High-quality social relationships also promote mental health by offering individuals a sense of place within a meaningful environment. When people feel connected and supported, they tend to experience a greater sense of control, a psychological state shown to be both associated and causally linked to good health (Lachman and Weaver, 1998). Positive psychological effects of social relationships improve physical health by making it easier for the body to maintain chemical homeostasis over long periods of time by alleviating its “allostatic load” (Umberson and Montez, 2010). Ultimately, these components of high-quality social relationships make people less likely to get sick and die.

Throughout her everlasting injury and recovery, someone was always there by her side. From her sister to her husband to her best friend, she always had a companion with her. Lauren was extremely lucky and she realized how lucky she was to have such amazing guardians who gave her endless hope and support. Who knows if she could have made it without her loved ones. Looking back at her injury, Lauren notes,“My guardians - my husband, my parents, and my doctors and nurses- helped to prevent death from stealing me, but only by the narrowest margin” (Manning 91). Also, in a recent New York Times article, Elizabeth Pope says, “Loneliness is a risk factor for functional decline and early death in adults over age 60, according to a University of California, San Francisco study published in July. More than 43 percent of the 1,604 participants reported that they often felt left out or isolated or lacked companionship.” These are two examples that highlight how companionship is essential for one to survive. When one is going through difficult times such as injuries or illnesses, they need a friend or family member to be there with them. Many people out there are dying at a young age because of extreme loneliness and isolation. Humans need each other, especially during times of misery. The amazing people who surround and care for us everyday are truly important and should never be taken advantage

A support system is important to the healing process in that it surrounds you with caring people who are there for you when you need

Support from your friends or family is a very good way of reaching resilience at a faster rate, because they will help you and support you through the struggles that you have encountered in your life. I believe that this is very important and plays a big part, because the people you are with at that moment can help you and encourage you to do things that you normally wouldn’t. People you care about also care for you too, so don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

Social support was taken as the perception and actuality that one is cared for, has assistance available from other people (spouse, relatives and friends) and that one is part of a supportive social network (Odongo et al, 2015). To demonstrate, my grandmother was able to have a lot of support from the family in which this allowed her to detect the cancer earlier due to the awareness of breast cancer in our family history. Breast cancer runs in my family, in every generation, and the remission of my grandmother’s cancer has led everyone to help out and understand the toll that the cancer was taking on her body. This allowed the family to learn more and support her in what decision she has made in taking the steps of recovery. Several studies have also described how the patient’s concealment of symptoms may influence, delay of medical help-seeking, while discussing them with friends and family can facilitate the decision to seek medical advice (Odongo et al, 2015).

Deep and meaningful relationships allow us to integrate into society, and develop a positive outlook on most

Once you enter our facility, as either an in-patient or an out-patient, we fill the role of friend and will eventually become your family away from home. This is especially helpful for those who have turned their back on their loved ones, or have had their family turn their backs on them. Having a support system is vital to the success of your recovery and we will gladly assume that role for as long as we are needed. God will also play a big role in you support system and He can be relied on to be there for you during your toughest

According to Siegal (2007), people are “wired to connect” in the sense that the lack of socio-environmental stimulation can have a detrimental impact upon one’s health (Taylor, 2002). For instance, studies have shown people experience physiological pain following social rejection, yet these symptoms substantially improve following social inclusion (Taylor, 2002). Therefore, an individuals’ perception of whom they in relation to their environment is fundamental to their psychological wellbeing (Fishbane, 2007 & Siegel, 2007).

Despite its roots in evolutionary theory, attachment theory has long split itself into two factions: adaptive and maladaptive. For years, insecure attachment has been implicated as one of the root causes for a number of psychological concerns. (Dozier, Stovall-McClough, & Albus, 2008) Tsachi Ein-Dor, however, theorized something different. His social defense theory posits an entirely new interpretation of attachment – that all attachment orientations have adaptive qualities for the environment in which they exist and that society at large benefits when groups are made up of a variety of attachment orientations. This paper seeks to better understand the schemas proposed by social defense theory (sentinel, rapid fight-flight, and collaborative)

Social isolation can be a major health problem for many older adults (Dickens, Richards, Greaves, & Campbell, 2011). Social isolation involves, individuals lacking social connections and engagement with others (Nicholson, 2012). Depression in elderly populations has become more prevalent with the aging population (Pittock, 2012). Depression has negative effects on many facets of an elderly persons life, including quality of life and functional abilities (Ell, 2006). Depression rates in those 65+ living alone has been found to be between 1% - 4% (Mojtabai & Olfson, 2004). A recent meta-analysis found, those with strong social networks had a 50% reduction in the

Social resources can be a health benefit because they aid our coping by changing our circumstances by making them appear less threatening. Social resources can help one relieve the emotional impact of stressful situations. In a study done by Cohen, Doyle, Turner, Alper, and Skoner (2003), it was found that higher levels of sociability correlated to lower levels of illness. Furthermore, it was found that having a “positive emotional style was associated with a lower risk of developing a cold” (Cohen, Doyle, et al. 2003; 393). Supporting what I mentioned above, having social ties means that ones has a larger network to draw support from – whether they are percieved are actual. One common trend is the importance of having a strong social support

Before Mr. X’s surgery, he enjoyed spending time with his three dogs, loves to hangout with his neighbours, went to the church every Sunday, and has no history of depression or anxiety. “Social support helps give people the emotional and practical resources they need to get through life” (CAN, 2005, p. 4). During Mr. X

Studies of mortality, which included social relationships as a metric, determined social relationships have a significant causal relationship to mortality. (Holt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton, 2010) More studies have been done on social relationships however; the mechanisms of how social relationships affect our health are still unclear. (2010) Relationships and their effect on health status continue to be an important area of research and analysis. Social relationships are a determinant which can be addressed at a community level. One key principle outlined by the Commission of European Communities report was not just looking at mortality rates, but also focusing on the quality of life during the