{"id":247029,"date":"2024-03-21T14:36:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T22:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socalempowered.com\/?p=247029"},"modified":"2024-03-21T14:36:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T22:36:10","slug":"relationships-and-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socalempowered.com\/relationships-and-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Relationships and Mental Health \u2013 It\u2019s Up To You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
At our foundation, we humans are inherently social creatures. We have long existed in packs or groups. That goes back to the beginning of our species, when we needed to coexist just to survive. That grouping instinct has continued regardless of how modern our world has become and how much easier it is to live on our own than even 100-200 years ago. That perpetuation has also led to findings of a strong link between relationships and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do relationships affect mental health? We know that the link is there, and we know that this link can create either a positive or a negative situation. We also know that in general, fostering healthy relationships is going to lead to a happier, more fulfilling life. It\u2019s important for us to feel connected to someone, to something<\/em>\u2026 but it\u2019s also easier said than done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re going to continue our series on mental health self-care<\/a> with a look at the link between relationships and mental health. We\u2019ll also dig into some ideas for helping people nurture strong and supportive relationships that will help them through the tough times. Like anything else, what you put into your relationships is directly correlated to what you get out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we talk about the link between relationships and mental health, we\u2019re not just talking about those of a romantic nature. Instead, we\u2019re talking about every type of relationship a person can experience. All of them make up what a person experiences in his or her dealings with others. Common examples of the types of relationships that can affect mental health include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these people form what is basically our world. All of them are also relevant to the link between relationships and mental health. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, we can choose some of the people from the list above but not others. We can also choose to eliminate some of the people on the list above from our daily lives, but not necessarily others. All of that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In its publication regarding relationships and mental health, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, talks about social connectedness<\/a><\/em>. The CDC defines social connectedness with several characteristics. A few of them include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the CDC states that social connectedness affects not only mental, but also physical health, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to make the most of that part of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The American Psychological Association published an article last year detailing the importance of friends<\/a> in a person\u2019s life. The article plainly quotes studies that revealed that high-quality friendships that provide support and companionship can help to protect people from developing anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conversely, people who had no real friends were found to be at much greater risk of premature death. One analysis found the risk associated with no real social connectedness to be greater than smoking 20 cigarettes a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All this means that having real, stable and safe relationships provides a person with someone \u2013 or even multiple people \u2013 to turn to as a buffer when facing negative circumstances. Someone with connectedness feels insulated from the world around them to a degree, and that\u2019s vitally important when it comes to protecting mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRelationships and Mental Health: It\u2019s About Social Connectedness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Relationships and Mental Health: Friends Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n