The Importance of Socialization to
the Brain
We have
known for many years about the importance of friendship, loving relationships,
family, marriage, and being connected human to human for our overall health and
wellness. More recent research has related the importance of ongoing
socialization to the brain and brain health.
Our brains
do quite well when we are integrated with others, involved in a community of
people, and living with a sense of contribution, role and purpose. Our “will to
live” is often a byproduct of the energy and spirit we give and take from
others. Our “failure to thrive” is quite different and can result from a
withdrawal and isolation from others and from personal meaning.
Why is
socialization so important to the brain? In my own work on brain health, I have
discussed the need for “novel and complex” stimulation to promote the necessary
neurophysiological changes (at the cellular level) that serve as the foundation
for brain health. The cells in our brains rejoice with novelty and complexity,
with new learning, and this is what occurs when we engage with others. We share
stories, debate issues, problem solve, emote, create, and work on
communication, not a bad workout for the brain!
In our own
lives we may have experiences when one of our loved ones is withdrawing or
slowing isolating from others. You may know someone who no longer attends his
or her typical activities or has lost interest in those programs or events that
once were a source of pleasure and joy. When our bodies isolate and withdrawal
so do our brains. This can lead to a lack of novelty and complexity, a lack of
social interaction, and an unhealthy reliance on the “rote and passive.”
Ultimately, a brain that isolates and segregates has the risk of developing
dementia, a condition of the brain quite opposite of brain health.
It is important for us to reach out to those we love and
encourage them to remain integrated, to continue contributing in personally
meaningful ways, to maintain a social network for ongoing discourse, and to
always engage in the Novel and Complex. Stay away from physical and emotional
isolation and your brain cells will always rejoice!
