"Man can learn nothing
except by going

from the known

to
the

unknown."

(Claude Bernard)

Image: "Donkeyskin" by Terri Windling

This is the outside of my office building where everything is just about to bloom. As you walk up to the front door, you can view some very impatient rosebuds just about to burst open along the walkways! By the time I post this they probably will have decided they can't wait another moment longer!

STUDY OF TWINS SHOWS SOCIAL TIES MAY PLAY BIGGER ROLE THAN YOUR GENES

By Steve Mitchell
MSNBC contributor
updated 5:55 a.m. PT, Tues., June. 17, 2008

When it comes to your health, your friends and neighbors may play a bigger role than your family.

A new study involving identical twins found that the siblings with tight-knit social circles were healthier than their counterparts who didn’t feel as connected to their communities, despite their very similar DNA and upbringing.

Previous studies have found that people with strong relationships within their communities tend to have fewer ills, but it’s been unclear how much of a role a person’s “good” genes and childhood experiences played in their robustness. The new study removed those factors from the equation by using nearly 1,000 U.S. twin pairs who were raised in the same household. The research found that siblings with a deeper sense of belonging to a trusted community were more likely to report being in excellent or good health than their twin who didn’t feel a deep social connection.

For individuals, the take-home message is that they may be able to improve their health by developing closer relationships with others in their community, said Takeo Fujiwara, who led the research and is chief of the behavioral science section at the National Institute of Public Health in Japan.

“This is very good news because we can say ‘community’ can contribute to physical health, no matter what kind of gene they have, or how they were raised when they were young,” Fujiwara said.

The study only gathered a snapshot of the twins’ overall health status so while social connections seem to improve both mental and physical health, it’s not clear which specific diseases or conditions are impacted.

Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University, said she’s not surprised that stronger social bonds play a big role in better health regardless of a person’s genetic makeup.

“People who do not view the world as a supportive place are far more likely to have a fight-or-flight emergency response to minor stressors and challenges,” McGonigal said. “Over time, this chronic heightened stress reactivity makes the body vulnerable to a wide range of health problems, from the everyday cold to cardiovascular disease.”

McGonigal said one way people can increase their feelings of social support is through community service, such as helping at a church or food bank.

“Service puts you in a role where people trust you, and you interact with other people who are serving the community,” she said. “These direct experiences can over time profoundly change whether you view your world as friendly or hostile.”

Powerful connections
Colleen Wainwright, 46, found out just how life-changing stronger social connections can be when she developed a severe case of Crohn’s disease several years ago. At the time, Wainwright, a Los Angeles resident, had just broken up with a boyfriend, had few close friends and felt socially isolated.

“I felt very, very alone,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to die alone.’”

But she eventually recovered and vowed to become more social and develop deeper and more supportive friendships. She joined Toastmasters and formed a group of close friends who meet regularly for dinner. As she developed tighter bonds, she saw her health improve.

Wainwright said in a typical year she used to contract several colds, a bad case of the flu and a bout of bronchitis. Since she expanded her social circle, she’s rarely sick. “I feel my baseline strength is better, and I think it’s because I feel connected to people in a way I wasn’t before,” she said.

In the study, which appears in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Fujiwara’s team obtained data on self-reported physical and mental health and social connections from 944 twin pairs, ranging in age from 25 to 74, who were participants in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Of the twin pairs, 351 were identical, which allowed the researchers to rule out the influence of both genes and upbringing factors, such as family life and level of wealth. The remaining 593 twin pairs were fraternal, which also helped eliminate the contribution early childhood experiences may make to long-term health.

Among both the identical and fraternal twins, those who reported higher levels of a sense of belonging to a supportive community had better health than their sibling. The twins assessed their own overall health status, by rating it from poor to excellent. The study was unable to zero in on specific diseases and conditions. That would require a much larger study, which Fujiwara said is his next project. The association between better health and social connections remained even after adjusting for age, gender, race and education.

Support when you're sick
Dr. Diego Coira, the chairman of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, added that while improved social ties won’t make us immune to all diseases, the feelings of support can do wonders in aiding recovery.

“Even if you have a healthy social life, if you get cancer, that illness may still progress,” he said. “But there’s no doubt that if your social support is good, your chance of dealing with illness is better and the illness may be milder.”

For Wainwright, the feeling of support she gets from her circle of friends has made all the difference in her health.

“I’m convinced that surrounding myself with people who care about me and love me makes me stronger,” she said. “It’s all about support. If I feel supported, then I don’t have to expend precious resources worrying about me because I know there are people there to take care of me if something happens, so there’s more resources to deal with other things.”

Steve Mitchell is a science and medicine writer in Washington, D.C.  His articles have appeared in a variety of newspapers, magazines and Web sites, including UPI, Reuters Health, The Scientist and WebMD
© 2008 MSNBC Interactive

AFTERTHOUGHTS:
What does your circle of support or sense of community look like at this time? Are there ways you might like to consider strengthening or expanding it? How might that enrich the quality of your days? What is one small step you might take in the week ahead if this is a goal?

Words Worth Considering

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

RESOURCES / LINKS & RECOMMENDED READING

Crisis Lines: Multnomah Co. 503-988-4888
Washington Co. 503-291-9111
Portland Women's Crisis Line 888-235-4888


MORE LINKS:
Dougy Center: Center for Grieving Children & Families www.dougy.org
New Connexion www.newconnexion.net/
Philip Berk www.philipmberk.com/
Erin Berk (art therapy) www.arttherapyportland.com
The Drawing Studio www.drawingstudio.net/
Urban Mamas www.urbanmamas.typepad.com/
Art and Soul Workshops www.artandsoulretreat.com/PortlandOre2008.php
Portland Wellness Center http://www.portlandwellnesscenter.com
David Schnarch (author/workshops)) http://www.passionatemarriage.com
Geneen Roth (author/workshops) http://www.geneenroth.com
Cancer as a Turning Point (free events) http://www.healingjourneys.org/
Belleruth Naparstek/Guided Imagery http://www.healingjourneys.com/
ChemoAngels http://www.chemoangels.com
The Sun Magazine http://www.thesunmagazine.org/
National Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
Elder Hope: Support for Caregivers www.elderhope.com
For Those Caring for Someone with Depression http://www.depressionfallout.com/
Joyful Heart Foundation For Survivors of Sexual Abuse http://joyfulheartfoundation.org/
Nat’l Association for Poetry Therapy www.poetrytherapy.org
Grief Support/Online Bereavement Groups www.groww.com/
Mend (for parents who have lost a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death www.mend.org
Danny Gregory http://www.dannygregory.com
Comedy for Peace http://www.comedy4peace.org/
Rob Brezsny http://freewillastrology.com
The Imaginal Institute http://www.imaginalinstitute.com/
Sound & Spirit Radio Programs http://www.wgbh.org/pages/pri/spirit/
Peace Corps http://www.peacecorps.gov
Power Path School of Shamanism http://thepowerpath.com
YES! Magazine http://www.yesmagazine.org/\
Planet SARK http://planetsark.com

RECOMMENDED READING:

"The purpose of a book is to serve as an axe for the frozen sea within us." - Annie Dillard

PERSONAL GROWTH:
Living, Loving, & Learning, Leo Buscaglia
Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl
The Dance of Anger, Harriet Lerner
Owning Your Own Shadow, Robert A Johnson
I Don't Want To Talk About It, by Terry Real- an excellent book on men and depression
A Gradual Awakening, Stephen Levine
The Places that Scare You, Pema Chodron
Gods In Everyman: Archetypes That Shape Men's Lives, Jean Shinoda Bolen
Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places, James Hollis
Women Who Run With The Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Facing Inner Courage Where It Lives, Mark Nepo
Soul On Fire: A Guide to the Journey Beyond Anxiety, S.C. Papenfus
Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness, Mark Epstein
Boundaries of the Soul, June Singer


RELATIONSHIPS
The Eden Project, James Hollis
The New Rules of Marriage, by Terry Real
The Relationship Cure, John Gottman
Passionate Marriage, David Schnarch (* excellent book for ALL couples in relationships)
Resurrecting Sex, David Schnarch
Simple Loving, Janet Luhrs
And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives , John and Julie Gottman
Reclaiming Eros, Suzanne Blackwood, Margaret Wade
Getting The Love You Want, Harville Hendrix
Not Just Friends: Rebuilding Trust and Recovering Your Sanity After Infidelity, Shirley Glass
We, Robert A Johnson
Sacred Sexuality, Michael Mirdad
Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships: Healing the Wound of the Heart by John Welwood
Why Talking Is Not Enough, Susan Page

TRANSITIONS:
From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller
Aging: The Fulfillment of Life, Henri Nouwen
The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife, James Hollis
Close to the Bone: Life Threatening Illness and the Search for Meaning, Jean Shinoda Bolen
On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, Elisabeth Kubler Ross
A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis
Living Your Unlived Life: Coping With Unrealized Dreams and Fulfilling Your Purpose in the Second Half of Life, Robert A. Johnson and Jerry M. Ruhl
Still Here: Embracing Age and Change, Ram Daas
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, Barbara Sher
The Art of Possibility, Rosamund and Benjamin Zander
Crazy Time: Surviving Divorce and Building A New Life, Abigail Trafford
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death, Irwin Yalom
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

FAMILIES:
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children , Ross W. Greene
The Intentional Family: Simple Rituals To Strengthen Family Ties, William Doherty
The Blessings of A Skinned Knee, Wendy Mogel
I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood, Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nob
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, Mary Pipher
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompso
The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Famliies, Mary Pipher
Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders, Mary Pipher
Parenting From the Inside Out: How A Deeper Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive, Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
10 Conversations You Need to Have with Your Children, Shmuley Boteach


TRAUMA AND ABUSE:
The Courage to Heal - A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, Laura Davis and Ellen Bass
Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child, Laura Davis
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse, Mike Lew
Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences, Peter Levine
Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal, Belleruth Naparstek

SUPPORT FOR YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT
A Creative Companion, SARK
A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life, Nina Wise
If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland
Fools Gold, SusanWooldridge
The Art Spirit, Robert Henri
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield
The Creative License, Danny Gregory
The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron
Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott
Life, Paint, & Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression, Michele Cassou and Stewart Cubley
Writing Down the Bones / Wild Mind, Natalie Goldberg
This Time I Dance, Tama Kieves
The Guerilla Art Kit: Everything You Need To Put Your Message Out in the World, Keri Smith

POETRY:
The Winged Energy of Delight: Poems from Europe, Asia, and the Americas, edited by Robert Bly
The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, edited by Robert Bly
Risking Everything, edited by Roger Housden
Dancing with Joy: 100 Poems, edited by Robert Bly
Even in Quiet Places, William Stafford
The Gift, Hafiz
Selected Poems, Mary Oliver
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon, Pablo Neruda

BIOGRAPHIES, AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS, & JOURNALS:
Memories, Dreams, Reflections, C.G. Jung
C.G. Jung: Wounder Healer of the Soul: An Illustrated Biography, Claire Dunne
An Interrupted Life: The Diaries of Etty Hillesum 1941-43, Etty Hillesum
The Bread of Angels, by Stephanie Saldana
Midnight Musings of a Family Therapist, Carl Whitaker
The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion
Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia, ELizabeth Gilbert
Operating Instructions: A Journal of my Son's First Year, Anne Lamott
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic, Martha Beck
Night, Elie Wiesel
The Golden World, Robert A Johnson (CD only)
Life? or theatre?, Charlotte Solomon
Spilling Open, Sabrina Ward Harrison
The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon, Dan Eldon