Christine Buhay, Author at Knowledge for Health

“Our need to connect is as fundamental as our need for food and water.” -Gareth Cook

Do you have a good social life?

Do you have lots of friends and connections? I’m not talking about the number of friends you have on Facebook or the number of followers you have on Instagram or Twitter. I’m talking about real, honest to goodness connection which involves genuine emotional relationship and face-to-face interaction.

According to research keeping a good social life has a huge and significant effect on our mental, as well as physical health. It’s been established that less than good social life has the same negative impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It’s twice as harmful as obesity, even more dangerous than never exercising or being an alcoholic.

Studies suggest that being socially isolated may have a greater effect on the risk of early death. Yes, not having a social life can, in fact, shorten your life!

Social disconnection isn’t just lonely. It’s unhealthy, and it can kill you.

Dependency on Technology

Has the current technology and housing trends increased the risk of loneliness? The technology advancements we have today definitely made some major impacts into our lives. So much so that it has affected our way of social interaction.

Social media and texting has made it easier for people to avoid relationship building. People may be more connected now more than ever, but social media networks can deprive us of human interaction. Instead of interacting in person and in real time, it creates a virtual substitute for companionship.

Too often what counts for social media is in fact social isolation. People are digitally obsessed, staring at their screens when waiting for a train, or on public transport. And at home, it’s just as bad. At least watching TV was something people can do together.

Maintaining Community

Since social interactions play a critical role in health, make socialising one of your priorities – make connections. Go out and devote some time for social activities. Join different groups or local communities around your area, whether it’s a social group, a hobby group, a sports group or an Asian community in Sydney. Have fun, be active and be as social as you can.

Remaining socially active and keeping interpersonal relationships can help your well-being as it helps you maintain good physical, psychological and emotional health. Reach out to your loved ones. Being with friends and family can be one of the main sources of meaning and fulfillment in a person’s life.

With today’s technology, the availability of information has made it possible for people to become educated more quickly. In the health and nutrition department alone, you can find extensive information published over the Internet which gives people the opportunity to become more informed. Finding what you need in just a click is definitely a good thing. However, the problem with this prevalent information is that people are exposed to more varying opinions.

One hot topic, which always ends up in debate and which most probably will never be settled is whether prescription drugs or natural alternatives are better.

Let’s take, for example, menopause. Menopause is a natural biological process which women experience as they age, wherein the menstrual periods stop permanently. Its symptoms include irregular periods, hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, and mood changes. A menopause treatment is customised for every woman and the treatments are directed toward alleviating uncomfortable or distressing symptoms.

Many of us fear the thought of being sick and when it comes to a medical condition such as menopause, regardless of its severity, people will always try to find a remedy. Of course, when choosing the best preventive medicine, we all want the safest, most effective option available. Although many are unsure of using alternatives to relieve their symptoms, people often turn to supplements because they’re perceived as more natural than drugs therefore gentler and have fewer side effects. They also generally cost less.

Nowadays, women going through menopause are considering natural alternatives to prescription medication due to the fact that many medications prescribed for serious health conditions have side effects. With natural alternatives, the belief is that a treatment plan which features natural elements in the chemical makeup of the human body are best.

Since there’s no real concrete data proving that natural alternatives are better and more effective, the question of using herbs versus drugs will continue as people will always have conflicting views about it.

Ultimately, people take natural alternatives at their own risk. If you’re thinking of going with the natural treatment, it’s still best to discuss natural alternatives with a medical professional to determine which course of treatment will benefit you.

Author: Christine Buhay

Menopause Treatments: Natural vs Pharmaceutical: Which is Best?