Bio/Psycho/Social - The Big Three In Getting It Right
We are excited to introduce you to part 3 of our three part series.
Written by Jon Amundson M.A.; M.A.P.P.; PhD and Minnie Cho B.A.; MS.
The Third Domain
The social component! Initially, it’s difficult to eat well, exercise regularly and manage our mind(s) in North American culture! We are a hyperactive, extroverted, attention challenged and fast food culture. Hence our social milieu does not invite the patience nor focus useful to well-being. A Dane once said of the difference between bicycle-riding in Denmark - where it is a regular form of transportation - and North America is that “everyone here dresses like they are in the Tour de France!” meaning what is an everyday regular thing in his country has to be more frenetic and striving here. Important in understanding this frenetic provocation is the concept of the ‘hedonic treadmill’, the idea that if I can just:
Get the house clean;
Finish the weeding;
Do my taxes;
Get out for my work out;
Get the kids fed/in bed;
Make those plans for the trip;
And so on
I will arrive at a place of calm and goodness where the winds blow free and clear, the sun shall shine, children laugh and birds sing. Yet, we find ourselves running and staying in the same place and the job, never done. This is a social disorder and one not easy to sidestep! With the directives above in mind then regarding bio/psych(logical), we add the social or contextual reinforcers as potential performance enhancers. Human contact does enhance our well-being, in fact its absence has been shown to be as harmful as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Perhaps a bit ironically, there is evidence of direct connection between the outside the skin world of the social and the inside the world of the nervous system. This connection relates to brain structure and the endocrine system; molecules activated and released through being with others. Oxytocin, the bonding hormone is directly linked to human connection, skin to skin contact, affection and intimacy. Studies show that when couples are separated for a long time, a lack of physical contact can decrease the levels of oxytocin, which drives the feelings of longing to bond again. Even dogs experience a surge in oxytocin after “cuddling” with their owner, as the strong emotional bonding has a biological basis in oxytocin. Studies show that supportive social ties may trigger physiological reactions (i.e.; reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones). While the lack of social ties have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease, recurrent myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, autonomic dysregulation, high blood pressure, cancer, slower wound healing, inflammatory biomarkers and impaired immune function. Biochemistry aside, others make us more than we are. If we undertake any change in behavior or routine, the chance for persistence increases significantly with others. It has been shown that when couples undertake a lifestyle change, where both embrace the change, the outcome is more likely. Quit smoking or start exercising and never will your mind and will you be so strong as when your life partner does so, as well. Decide to run or walk or bike and a like-minded group will fuel the momentum when our internal resource falters. Our social ties can influence our health behaviors, in part, because they “control” our habits. Social ties can create a sense of concern and responsibility, which can encourage individuals to participate in behaviors that protect the health of others and their own. As simply as beginning to raise your heart rate though walking will succeed more when the dog, as social commitment, goes with you, it becomes the source of inspiration.
But what of the inside the skin benefits to social connection? How and why do connections to others support our well-being? Initially, research has shown that there is an inverse relationship between such mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression and social connection. That, people who are less connected are more likely to suffer these two disorders. This situation, isolation and suffering, is also reflected in decline of physical health; that longevity declines with loneliness. Most poignantly, this has emerged in the isolation, loneliness and absence of social connection in the elder care homes in Canada such that observers have said even if these elders survive the pandemic, they may never be able to recover their previous psycho-social competencies. Staying in this lane, COVID has imposed a social stall to most of our regular avenues of connection. We are asking youth to live like retirees and have transformed most previous revelries into daily forced marches i.e. people out walking. More people are falling off bikes and dog adoptions are at an all-time high! What in general and specific to this time of the quiet might one do in pursuit of this vital social connection and well-being?
Initially, this is not all bad. The frenetic, hedonic treadmill spoken of above has ground to a halt, allowing us to pursue the simpler life. By simple, it is implied that small can be beautiful. Those walks can serve a lot of purpose. For example, people who own dogs report more well-being than those that don’t, walking the dog and training the dog provide motivation and purpose. Others walking their dogs share affinity, and social connection need not be BFF but the simple exchange of a smile and a moment, at distance of two dogs, indulging in the olfactory pleasures they employ! Neighbors are reporting meeting each other for the first time. Years ago, as a child, my father looked at the four houses abutting his property and stated the farm community from which he came from would be appalled that he didn’t know any of these people! In vivo contact however is not all there is. Research has often taken the media to task as moral panic has arisen around predation and exploitation, but recent research has shown virtual contact can be as good as actual contact. Studies show that video chats can be a beneficial way to stay connected with others and have meaningful interactions. One research study showed that individuals who had interactions through video chats had reduced likelihood of developing depression. Experts say that staying connected with others can ease loneliness during isolation of Covid, this is where technology and media can be of great support. In fact, many of us have an online community around us…friends, family and mutual interest groups with whom we share information: forwarding emails and debating with and posting photos, all things which connect us. No, Facebook will probably not take the place of the local pub for many, but it is a vehicle for connection. The morning routine? Wake up and turn on your phone and check for texts and email. No?
Finally, larger social meaning is always lurking on the edge - values and ethics; morality and virtue are now more afoot than ever. For example, community is medicine now: both biologically and socially! Biological prevention and even treatment are still to emerge with COVID, yet we have social and community treatment which has been shown to be effective. New Zealand, Taiwan and Hong Kong realized early on that the virus needs us more than we need it and so ‘ruined’ its ecology, preventing conditions under which it flourishes. As a social movement, we can all enjoy the connection community as medicine biologically provides, and even go further. Activism: driving the speed limit, practicing patience in any trying situation, picking up trash, helping out others and so on have all been shown to be both cause and effect in well-being. In fact, research has shown that commitment to social causes does promote mental health, as with the BLM movement. Multiple studies show that activism has positive associations with participants’ well-being. People appear to be more satisfied with life when they connect with other individuals, groups, and when they work together to improve society. Studies showed that failing to take action in the face of a perceived sociopolitical threat can lead to poorer long-term mental health. Even engaging in activism online (e.g., tweeting, Instagram) also showed to benefit one’s well-being. However it is important to note there were also negative psychological consequences for engaging in activism such as “activism burnout” or a state of emotional exhaustion. Connection then with others in common cause promotes healing.
In the end, it is ultimately about the social: how we will be in the world. People are people because of other people. And as Ricky Gervais suggests in his film, Afterlife, it may be as simple as always seeking to promote the most good, the most joy, each of us can bring to each other and the job that is life!
Jon Amundson M.A.; M.A.P.P.; PhD
Jon Amundson has been in independent practice since 1980 in Calgary. Working in a family practice ranging from direct clinical service through forensic and court-related expertise, he has taught, trained/supervised and written and published professionally. Aside from many thousand of hours of professional practice, he has been a national and international elder athlete, competing in cross country skiing and Polynesian canoe racing.
Minnie Cho B.A.; M.S
Jon Amundson M.A.; M.A.P.P.; PhD has been in independent practice since 1980 in Calgary. Working in a family practice ranging from direct clinical service through forensic and court-related expertise, he has taught, trained/supervised and written and published professionally. Aside from many thousand of hours of professional practice, he has been a national and international elder athlete, competing in cross country skiing and Polynesian canoe racing.
References
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