AliyahRosen

StudentDirectedP.E.
51716
TheSayingIdDieWithoutFriendsHasMoreTruthtoitThanYoudThink

Thegreatestgiftinlifeisfriendship,andIhavereceivedit,HubertHHumphrey.
Havingclosefriendscanimproveyourtotalqualityoflife,thatisprettyobvioustoanyonewho
hasasolidgroupoffriends.Youlaughalot,trusteachotherwithsecrets,andhaveasenseof
comfortandstabilitywiththem.Butfriendsareworthmorethanjustmakingyoufeelbetter
whenyouredown,ordoingsomethingsillyyouretooembarrassedtodoalone.Studieshave
shownthathavingaclosegroupoffriendscanextendyourlifebyaround20%,canreduceyour
levelsofstressaroundschoolorwork,encourageyoutobehappierormakehealthierchoices
whenitcomestoexerciseoreating,andevenpromotethewellbeingofyourbrainwhileaging.
Sometimessocializingcanbehard,orapproachingsomeonetotryandmakeanewconnection
canbedaunting.Butalongterm,stablefriendshipcanimpactyouroverallhealthandhappiness,
aswellasyouroutlookonlifemorethanyoumightrealize.

TheNewYorkTimesciteda2006studyconductedbytheAmericanSocietyofClinical
Oncology.Thestudyhaddatafrom2,835womendiagnosedwithbreastcancerbetweenstages
14.Thepurposeofthestudywastoseehowhavingpersonalrelationshipswouldaffectthe
mortalityratesofthewomenwhohadbeendiagnosedwithbreastcancer.Thestudyprovedthat

thewomenwithnosocialties,orthosewhohasisolatedthemselvessociallypriortotheir
diagnosishada66%increaseinriskfordyingfromanytypeofcause.Theriskfordyingfrom
breastcancerinthisstudywasalmostdoubleforthosewomen.Bothofthosenumberswere
comparedtothenumbersfromthemortalityratesfromwomenwehadstrongsocialties.The
studystatedthatthemortalityrateforwomenwithoutcloserelatives,spouses,livingchildren,
andfriendshadamuchhighermortalityratefrombreastcancerthanthewomenwhohadcloser
friends.Thoseconductingthestudyobservedthatthewomenwhodidnthaveasmanypersonal
tiesalsohadalowerproteinintakeandweremorelikelytobesmokers.Thesocialnetworkor
supportwasmeasuredbyquestionsbeingaskedtothepatientaboutfriendsorrelatives,and
peoplewhovisitedorwhotheyhadcommunicationwith.Itwasshownthatwomenwhowere
goingthroughtreatmentwhohadsocialsupporthadasignificantlylowrateofallcause
mortality.
Friendsandrelativesactedasemotionalandphysicalsupport,andalsoincreasedthepatient's
accesstohealthcare,versuswomenwhodidnthavethatnetworkofpeopletosupportandcare
forthem.
Thisshowshowfriendsimpactyourhealthandperseverancethroughtoughtimes,and
willcareforyouwhileyouresickandencourageyoutogethelp.

PsychologyTodaypublishedanarticleaboutthebook
Friendfluence
,writtenbyauthor
CaitlinFlora.InherbookFloraelaboratesonwayshavingfriendscanbenefityourqualityof
life.Friendfluenceisthepowerfulandoftenunappreciatedrolethatfriendspastand

presentplayindeterminingoursenseofselfandthedirectionofourlives(p.6).
Friendfluenceisatermregardingtohowfriendsinfluenceyourlifeandyourchoices.Herbook
isacompilationofinterviewsandpeoplespersonalexperienceswithhowtheirclose
relationshipshaveimpactedtheirlivespositively.Onepartofthetextspeakstohowhaving
closefriendscanhelpyoudefineyourpriorities.Ifyouhavefriendswhohavethesamevalues
andinterestsasyou,youwillhavemoretimeandfeelbetteraboutdemonstratingyourinterests.
Also,havingfriendswhoshareyourinterestswillallowyoutoexpandyourcircles.Youre
likelytogotoeventstheyvebeeninvitedto,ormeetotherfriendsoftheirs.OnepointthatI
foundreallyrelevantthatFloramakesisthatfriendscanhelpyougetintouchwithreality.
Friendsarebetteratdescribingourbehavioraltraitsthanweare,thisisaquotethearticleused
fromFlora.Ifyouareengaginginselfdestructivebehavior,yourfriendswillbethefirsttosee
thatandtheywillprobablybetheonestotellyouthattheyreworried.Or,ifyoureacting
irrationalaboutasituation,theywouldbetheonestokeepyouincheckandthepeopleyou
mighthearitfrombest.Also,ifyourefeelingdownaboutyourself,yourfriendswilldefinitely
betheretopickyoubackupagain.Havingacohortofpeoplewhoyoufeelsafeandcomfortable
willchangehowyouseeyourself,andtheworldaroundyou.

TheJournalofEpidemiology&Communityshowedastudythatshowsfriendscaneven
helpyoulivelonger.ItisalongitudinalAustralianstudythatspannedovertenyearstoconduct
followed1,477peopleovertheageof70livinginacommunityandtheirlifestyles.Thepurpose
ofthestudywastoseeifhavinganactivesocialnetworkoffriends,spouses,children,and

distantrelativesaffectedthesurvivaloftheelderlybeingtested.Thereweresomecontrolled
variablespertainingtothelifestyleofthepatients,andtheirhealth.Butthestudyshowedthat
thoseofthetestsubjectswhohadalargernetworkofpeopletheytrustedwerearound20percent
lesslikelytodieduringthetenyearstudyperiod.Thereasonforthepredictedlongevityis
becausefriendsmakeyoulaughandsmileandmakeyouhappier.

Havingclosefriendshipscanalsohelppreventdepression.Depressioncanhappenwhen
thereisachemicalimbalanceinyourbrain,accordingtoTheMayoClinic.Itcanalsohappen
whenyouhaveexperiencedatraumaticlifeevent,likethelossofalovedone.Awaytoprevent
depressionbeforeithasthepossibilitytohappenisstimulateproductionofhappychemicalsin
yourbrain.ThehappychemicalsareSerotonin,Dopamine,Oxytocin,andEndorphins.These
producefeelingsofhappiness,love,andwarmth.Afterwehaveestablishedapatternof
stimulatingthesechemicals,ourbraintellsustorepeatit,ormakeitahabit.Thiscanbe
detrimentaltoourhealth,becausesomedrugsstimulatetheproductionofthosechemicals.Butif
youfindhealthywaystostimulatethosechemicals,itcanimproveyourmentalhealthand
qualityoflife.Beingwithpeoplewhomakeyouhappywillstimulatethesechemicals,that
wouldbeanexampleofahealthyhabit.Endorphinsareproducedbyexercise,whichwouldalso
beahealthywaytostimulatethosechemicals.Engaginginhealthyactivitieswithpeoplewho
encouragethosebehaviorsisoneofthebestwaystoincreaseyourmentalhealthandqualityof
life.

ImluckytohavethefriendsIdonow,andIhopetokeepintouchwithmostofmy
friendsforanextendedperiodoftimeafterhighschool.Itsagreatfeelingtoknowyouhave
peoplethatyoutrustandhaveconnectionswith,andnowitsevenbettertoknowthathaving
friendsimpactsmorethanjustmymood.Itcanbehardtomaintainfriendshipsiftheyrenot
healthy,butitsalwayseasytokeeparelationshipwithpeoplewhomakeyouhappyandmake
youfeelbetter.Itstheeasiestwaytokeepyourselfhealthy,andoneofthebestforyourquality
oflife,lifestyle,emotional,andphysicalhealth.

WorksCited
"Depression(majorDepressiveDisorder)."
Depression(majorDepression)
.Web.17May2016.
"EffectofSocialNetworkson10YearSurvivalinVeryOldAustralians:TheAustralian
LongitudinalStudyofAging."
Http://jech.bmj.com/
.Web.
"FifteenReasonsWeNeedFriends."
PsychologyToday
.Web.17May2016.
"JournalofClinicalOncology."
SocialNetworks,SocialSupport,andSurvivalAfterBreast
CancerDiagnosis
.Web.17May2016.
"MeetYourSymposiumCommittees."
GMTTInternationalSymposiumDigest
(1966).Web.
"WhatAreFriendsFor?ALongerLife."
Http://www.nytimes.com/
.Web.