SOCIAL SUPPORT

LET’S HAVE COFFEE. Acrylic on canvas. By Janet Roberts, Reuters data editor, New York — ***LET’S HAVE COFFEE****. Acrylic on canvas. By Janet Roberts, Reuters data editor, New York*

Many people find that however stressful life gets, it helps to keep talking to others and building relationships. Social support is the single most effective path to reducing stress — more than therapy or medication, notes CiC. Research shows that spending time with others reduces stress hormones. Studies have also shown that people with a strong sense of connection with others live longer.

It doesn’t just help coping with stress. Social support is the most powerful protection against becoming overwhelmed by trauma, numerous studies show, writes American psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk in his 2014 book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.

Getting social support can protect trauma-exposed individuals from developing PTSD, writes David Morris, author of The Evil Hours: A biography of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Janet Roberts, Reuters data editor, New York: “This painting represents what has always been a great stress-relief valve for me: the periodic chat. I have a couple of close friends I call on regularly for deep sharing about what’s happening in our lives. There is plenty of venting and laughing during these get-togethers, but most of all, there is listening. I always feel better afterwards, and it’s great to know there’s someone who will hear me out.”