Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association. Relation between friendship, happiness and health, The conventional wisdom is that good friendships enhance an individual's sense of happiness and overall well-being. But a number of solid studies support the notion that strong social supports improve a woman's prospects for good health and longevity.
Conversely, it has been shown that loneliness and lack of social supports are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections, and cancer as well as higher mortality rates. Two female researchers have even termed friendship networks a "behavioral vaccine" that protects both physical and mental health.
While there is an impressive body of research linking friendship and health status, the precise reasons for this connection are still far from clear. Most of the studies are large prospective studies (that follow people over a period of time) and while there may be a correlation between the two variables (friendship and health status), researchers still don't know if there is a cause-and-effect relationship, e.g. that good friendships actually improve health.
There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the link, including that:
1) Good friends encourage their friends to lead more healthy lifestyles.
2) Good friends encourage their friends to seek help and access services, when needed.
3) Good friends enhance their friends' coping skills in dealing with illness and other health problems.
4) Good friends actually affect physiological pathways that are protective of health
Some quote about friend :
A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. -- Fr. Jerome Cumming
Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends. -- Cindy Lew
Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you. -- Elbert Hubbard
What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. -- Aristotle
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.-- Albert Camus
The only way to have a friend is to be one. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.-- Abraham Lincoln
Hold a true friend with both your hands. -- Nigerian Proverb
A faithful friend is the medicine of life. -- Apocrypha
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.-- Anonymous
Friends are like melons; shall I tell you why? To find one good you must one hundred try. -- Claude Mermet
Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.-- Baltasar Gracian (1647)
Friendship needs no words...-- Dag Hammarskjold.
Friends are the sunshine of life. -- John Hay (1871)
The best mirror is an old friend. --George Herbert
source : (wikipedia,indianchild)
