by Irene S. Levine, PhD
One reason why television shows as diverse as Friends and The Golden Girls, have become classics is because they so aptly portray the essence and energy of friendships at different ages and stages of women’s lives. Based on both the subject matter and the hype, I can’t wait to watch tonight’s first episode of the mini-series, The Starter Wife---an ode to the wife who gets left—and another take on the role of female friends...
In this candid interview, Carole shares her own experience with online friendships and makes some insightful comparisons between these and offline ones...
A recent article by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry S. Lodge on MSN.com, Why Love Heals: How Friendships Keep You Healthy, discusses the findings of a study that examined the correlation between friendship and good health.
“A study of more than 4,000 women and men in Alameda County, California, showed a direct link between the size of one's social circle and survival, with larger circles bringing ever-greater longevity. Women with fewer than six regular contacts outside the house had significantly higher rates of blocked coronary arteries, were more likely to be obese and have diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression, and were two and a half times more likely to die over the course of the study than those with an extensive social network.”
The article goes on to say that both good friendships and a good number of them are associated with good health; a combination of the two is the best prescription of all.
What are your thoughts about why friendship is linked to good health?
An interview with Debbie Mandel, MA
Stress expert and life coach Debbie Mandel explains why some female friendships create stress, how women can recognize and lessen the stress of their relationships, and when you should simply give up and move on.
Are any of your friendships stressing you out? Read what Debbie has to say...
Aristotle characterized three different types of friendships, according to a recent article in Philosophy Now by Dr. Timothy Madigan. They include friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure, and friendships of good.
Friendships of utility offer some mutual advantage to both parties (for example, co-workers, business partners, classmates)
Friendships of pleasure describe those where people simply enjoy spending time together (for example, members of a book club or women who shop or exercise together)
Friendships of good are relationships that tend to be lifelong, based on people valuing each other's virtues
With a little help from my friends and your friends----more than 500 people have already responded to the Fractured Friendships Survey. The survey is designed to collect information about the impact of female friendships on the lives of women.
If you still haven't taken the survey, click here to contribute your experience. Please share the link with other women. The survey shouldn't take more than 10 minutes of your time and will help you think about and assess your own friendships.
During the high school and college years, many women (as well as men) develop close relationships with roommates or classmates that they expect will last a lifetime.
Students are thrown together in dorms, lounges and classrooms. Being in the same place at the same time, they find they have much in common---regardless of their diverse backgrounds. They forge new friendships on soccer teams, in drama clubs, and in campus newsrooms.
In his article Friends – Will I Really Be There for You?, Michael S. Borress, managing editor of the Binghamton University student newspaper, Pipe Dream, points out that Graduation Day often marks the unexpected death of many of these friendships.
In a May 8th Associated Press story in the South Bend Tribune, Friendships Can Be Altered by Marriage, journalist Maggie Koerth-Baker makes the point that nurturing friendships as a pair is often be far more challenging than when you’re a single flying solo.
James Taylor sang about the close bonds of friendship:
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.
But sometimes it isn’t that easy. All of a sudden, we become aware that our female friendships are dwindling and there really isn’t anyone to turn to or call. Your best friend may have moved across the country or a misunderstanding may have created a irreconcilable emotional gulf---or you may have been so consumed by work for months, or even years, that you’ve failed to nurture friendships that once sustained you. How do you move forward and expand your network of new friends as an adult?...
As part of the Chain of Confidence Campaign, Tupperware commissioned a study that polled over 500 women across the country, ages 18 and older. The survey results revealed that 85 percent of them believed that a supportive network of friends is more vital to self-confidence than good looks. Other findings: