{"id":167712,"date":"2025-02-13T14:11:52","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T20:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=167712"},"modified":"2025-02-20T14:50:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T20:50:42","slug":"benefits-of-having-good-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/health\/benefits-of-having-good-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Friendships Help Us Live Longer and Healthier"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Western culture, when we read about love, we usually associate it with romantic relationships. Still, another bond seems to have the same\u2014or even more\u2014benefits: <strong>friendship<\/strong>. Recent studies show that having good friends keeps us healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFriendship is our relationship with the most freedom,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/authwall?trk=bf&amp;trkInfo=AQGcXL9mkTbTtwAAAZUB-18wCLbyNRuU0ADy7Y-CHn5rOFzWVt-4pA9S3srQkoPYpb98t7mVPp0cLeOR6omv1n0fSlSkn_TyqBEsioea2tL-vyBrrLywi5enZuK1loYVwa8dpNY=&amp;original_referer=&amp;sessionRedirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fana-luisa-gonz%25C3%25A1lez-rosas%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ana Luisa Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>, psychologist and Regional Coordinator of the Office of Care for Human Dignity at Tec de Monterrey. \u201cIt helps us have better emotional, physical, and mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike other types of relationships, like the ones we have with family or co-workers, we choose our friends freely. They often become our accomplices, the people we can talk to about what we feel or think without being judged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When friendships are based on mutual respect, support, and care, people who have them tend to <a href=\"https:\/\/psychiatryonline.org\/doi\/10.1176\/appi.ajp.2020.19111158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">feel more satisfied with their lives<\/a> and are protected against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/psychology\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1059057\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are also <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosmedicine\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pmed.1000316\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">less likely to die from various diseases<\/a>, thus increasing their life expectancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHumans are social beings; we cannot survive in isolation,\u201d reflects Gonz\u00e1lez. \u201cFriendships are a fundamental part of our support system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a support network is not only essential for a healthy life, it also plays a fundamental role in helping victims of violence get out of a vulnerable situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Victims of domestic violence who have the support of their friends and family have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.liebertpub.com\/doi\/10.1089\/15246090260137644\" target=\"_blank\">a lower risk of experiencing anxiety and depression and fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress and suicide attempts<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you have people who care for you, if you experience a violent situation, it does not mean it will not hurt, but you will have <strong>twice as many tools so that its impact in your life is not so deep<\/strong>,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Psychological Benefits of Having Friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the social, physical, and mental benefits of having friends have not been studied as much as those of romantic love, there is growing evidence of how much friendships can improve our quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences\/article\/united-we-thrive-friendship-and-subsequent-physical-behavioural-and-psychosocial-health-in-older-adults-an-outcomewide-longitudinal-approach\/8FF7714B8278D2E46F4AB5A2F1F9FE57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent study<\/a> that analyzed surveys of around 13,000 people over 50 found that those with quality friendships were 24% less likely to die during the eight years the study lasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also found that they showed a 9% increase in the likelihood of exercising, a 17% reduction in the risk of <a href=\"\/en\/health\/how-does-depression-affect-the-brain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression<\/a>, and a 19% reduction in the probability of suffering a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe all love belonging to something, to a football club or an artist\u2019s fan club,\u201d says Gonzalez. \u201cThis collective experience of making friends reaffirms our sense of identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This type of relationship not only reduces the risk of suffering from mental disorders, such as <a href=\"\/en\/health\/how-does-depression-affect-the-brain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression<\/a> or anxiety but also helps us see life more calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This became evident in <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3291107\/#:~:text=Participants%20with%20a%20friend%2C%20compared,way%20as%20do%20energetic%20factors.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two studies<\/a> that aimed to assess whether the perception of the steepness of a geographic feature, such as a mountain, could be influenced by different factors, including the presence of a friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one of them, they found that those placed in front of a hill in the company of a friend perceived it as less steep, unlike those who were alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of their most important findings was that the effect of this social support was more significant depending on the quality of the relationship, such as the length, warmth, and closeness of their friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Recognize a Good Friend<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21895364\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">positive impact <\/a>of friendships has a biological basis related to brain connections and how we respond to stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-017-02722-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">different studies<\/a>, researchers studying this bond have found that friends have <a href=\"https:\/\/srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/cdep.12450\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar patterns of brain activity<\/a> in regions associated with motivation, reward, and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur nervous system is connected to other organs and systems,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez. \u201cThrough it, friendships teach our body to recognize well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, they must meet certain characteristics for all the benefits of friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have to be <strong>based on mutual respect and help,<\/strong>\u201d explains Gonz\u00e1lez. \u201cThe goal is that this relationship makes you feel respected, heard, valued, taken into account, supported, and free to express yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They must also be flexible enough so that the changes that come with life do not prevent it from continuing to exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you decide to be a mother and I decide not to be one if you decide to be a doctor and I a lawyer, we have to find ways so that whatever we decide to be can continue to meet without judgment,\u201d says the psychologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, good friends must be present in difficult times as well as easy and fun ones. Just as we share tears, we also must share laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thus, friendships can be sentimental ties that have the most potent effects on our lives, for better or worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as positive effects have been found, some studies suggest that they can reinforce risky behaviors, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/10410236.2017.1331184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">smoking<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/337716943_Friendship_and_Alcohol_Use_Among_Young_Adults_A_Cross-Disciplinary_Literature_Review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">excessive alcohol consumption<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Impacts of Social Isolation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although certain friendships may have some disadvantages, when they are healthy, they generally have a positive impact on our lives, largely because they reduce our feelings of loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent years,<strong> social isolation has come to be considered a significant risk to human health<\/strong> since it increases our chances of <a href=\"https:\/\/heart.bmj.com\/content\/104\/18\/1536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suffering from chronic diseases<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/1745691614568352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dying prematurely<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dangers associated with it are significant for <strong>the elderly<\/strong>, who are more vulnerable to a lack of emotional connection and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOlder adults who manage to create friendship bonds live longer than someone who does not have them,\u201d emphasizes Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, investing in quality friendships is a safe bet to protect us against the difficulties of adult life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to different researchers, the evidence of the profound impact that healthy friendships can have could also inform public health strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf human bonds are not considered in the public sphere, we will continue to contribute to a system that individualizes and separates us,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez. \u201cHorizontal, safe, and caring relationships \u2013such as friendships\u2013 must permeate all our social systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Were you interested in this story? Do you want to publish it? Contact our content editor to learn more <a href=\"mailto:marianaleonm@tec.mx\">marianaleonm@tec.mx<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Western human societies have focused on romantic love, but the friendship love also has mental and physical health benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":167748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":"[]"},"categories":[86],"tags":[224],"class_list":["post-167712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.0 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friendship Love Should Also be Celebrated | TecScience<\/title>\n<meta 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