Having close relationships improves mental, physical health

Instead of stressing yourself out this year over Valentine's
Day, reflect on all of the close relationships that you do have:
psychologists say relationships are keeping you alive.

Carolyn Cutrona, professor and chairwoman of the psychology
department, said studies have shown since the 1970s that people who
are not in close relationships are two to three times more likely
to die earlier than those who are in close relationships.

Cutrona said that social isolation can have similar effects on
the human body to smoking or suffering from obesity. She said this
is due to the fact that loneliness is a leading cause of
depression, substance abuse and eating disorders.

It has been proven that holding a lover's hand can cause the
brain to react to a lesser extreme when faced with threatening
situations such as giving a speech, Cutrona said.

Not only does being loved have an effect on mental health, it
also affects a person's physical health. Cutrona said that a study
was done where subjects were put in a painful position, such as
putting their hands in ice water. It was found that subjects who
looked at a photograph of their partner did not have as severe of a
reaction to the pain as those who were did not look at
photographs.

Cutrona said that, especially for college students, loneliness
can cause weaker immune systems. In one study, test subjects were
injected with a cold virus.  The subjects recorded the number of
tissues used the week after. Subjects that were in close
relationships used less tissues and healed faster than those who
were not in relationships at all, Cutrona said.

There are many reasons that relationships have these effects on
us, Cutrona said. It could be that people take better care of
themselves when they are dating someone or that their partners
prevent them from entering harmful situations. The human species is
one that needs social interactions to survive because people make
each other happy, Cutrona said.

"Valentine's Day can be a reminder of your current status,
whether that be single, in a relationship that you are very happy
with or maybe one you are not so sure about," said Kathryn
Sirridge, staff psychologist at the Student Counseling Center.

Sirridge said that she encourages students who are single to get
involved on campus and to spend time with good friends and
roommates. Family and friends can make you feel better if you are
down in the dumps, she said.

Also, Sirridge said the Student Counseling Center is always
willing to help out with the Valentine's Day blues.

"Valentine's Day is about celebrating all of your relationships,
not just romantic ones," Sirridge said.

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