Page 80 - Relationships101 A Guide To Building Healthy Relationships Final 1

3. Tell the truth. When an individual cannot handle the truth, many people feel that
lying is best for the relationship. However, lying will destroy the friendship. So
telling the truth is always best.

4. Do not double date. If your friend is married to or dating an individual you
cannot get along with, try to meet your friend privately. Also, it would be best
for you to work on accepting their partner. This will help your friendship.

5. Do not betray your friend’s confidence. Betraying confidence in a relationship

is saying goodbye to a friend. Eventually, your friend will find out.

As you can see, friendship is hard work. We all need friends, so do not put your friends
aside. Always stay in touch. If your friend does not contact you for a short time, try to
reach out to them. If they do not respond, then you must look the relationship over. When
and if they decide to get back to you, listen to their reasons for not keeping in contact. If
this continually goes on, ask yourself: Are they a true friend? We should not treat our
friends the way we do not want to be treated.

Friendship and Health

Some conventional wisdom: good friendships enhance an individual's sense of happiness
and overall well-being. A number of solid studies support the notion that strong social
supports improve a woman’s prospects for good health and longevity. Additionally,
loneliness and lack of social supports are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral
infections, cancer, and higher mortality rates.

Two female researchers have even termed friendship networks as a “behavioral vaccine”
that protects physical health 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 some time, and while there may be a correlation
between the two variables (friendship and health status), researchers still do not know for
sure that good friendships actually improve health.

There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the link, including: 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

81