Power of Social Contact

[Guest guest]

,

You wrote, " my computer has been down for a couple months now, and I got so

depressed not being able to get

online! "

You have been missed; it is great to hear from you. I understand exactly what

you mean about being depressed when you can’t get online. I have enjoyed

having a computer for years, but it wasn’t until I was diagnosed that I

realized that the internet was my umbilical cord and life line to my source of

strength and encouragement.

Chronic Pancreatitis and pain can result in being homebound for a good length of

time. And, as we know, our close friendships and relationships are inversely

proportional to our disease. As our disease progresses, our friendships lessen,

and we soon find ourselves homebound and isolated from human companionship,

love, and understanding.

A computer and access to the internet enables me to stay connected to the world

around me. The PAI ensures that someone somewhere will always know how I am

feeling, without me having to explain it. I recently read an article about the

scientific proof of the power of social contact.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

http://www.pancassociation.org

Pancreatitis Association International

Wounds Heal Faster When Social Support Is Available

By Miranda Hitti, WebMD Medical News

Aug. 5, 2004 -- There's something healing about good company. That's the

indication of new research from Ohio State University.

" Stress delays wound healing in humans and other animals, and social contact

helps counteract this delay, " says DeVries, assistant psychology

professor at Ohio State, in a news release.

To learn why, DeVries and her colleagues did a series of tests on hamsters with

skin wounds to find out how social companionship influenced healing. In the

study, the researchers varied the conditions of housed hamsters to see if

positive social interactions would improve recovery.

A group of wounded hamsters were paired with siblings; others were socially

isolated. When exposed to stress, the isolated animals fared worst. They had

increases in the stress hormone cortisol and their wounds became larger and

lasted longer, researchers say.

Oxytocin, a hormone released during social contact, appears to play a key role.

In a second experiment, isolated hamsters were treated with oxytocin. The

oxytocin blocked the increases in stress hormones seen previously when the

hamsters were exposed to stress. The treatment resulted in 25% faster wound

healing compared with isolated hamsters that did not receive oxytocin.

Meanwhile, treatment with a medication to block the release of oxytocin slowed

healing in hamsters that were allowed to bond.

The lesson? Positive social interaction helps healing. That could easily apply

to humans as well as hamsters. The researchers say that socially isolated

people, particularly those with diabetes, cancer, AIDS, and organ

transplantation, may run a greater risk of slow-healing wounds due to stress,

which could ultimately lead to wound infection.

" Having a companion may help wounds heal faster during stressful times, " says

DeVries, whose study recently appeared in Psychoneuroendocrinology.