TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 33 PHOTOJOURNALIST CODY DUTY won a Barbara Jordan Media Award for the images and video accompanying the story "Racing to Recovery," which ran in the May 2018 issue of TMC Pulse. Barbara Jordan Media Awards go to media professionals who have accurately and positively reported on individuals with disabilities. WRITER AND COLUMNIST SHANLEY PIERCE won a first place Anson Jones, MD, Award from the Texas Medical Association in the Online Single Article category for her story, "Musician Plays Flute During Deep Brain Stimulation," which ran online at tmcnews.org on March 28, 2018 and appeared in the May 2018 issue of TMC Pulse. Congrats, TMC Pulse and TMC News flow from other parts of the body to specific muscles, increasing the blood pressure and heart rate and boosting muscle tension in prepara- tion for fighting or fleeing. Chronic exposure to this stress, not to mention maintaining a high alert state, can lead to more serious conditions over time. "There's been a disconnect for a long time between the mind and body, so to speak, and people have seen it as two very separate catego- ries," John said. "But I think we are one being, who is a physical being, a mental being, a social being, and a psychological and spiritual being. Any impact on our sense of well- being and connectedness has huge ramifications on our neural system and biological system." According to a meta-analysis by Brigham Young University psy- chology and neuroscience professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD., loneliness has been linked to an increased likelihood of death by 26 percent, the equivalent to smok- ing 15 cigarettes a day. "We pounce on anyone smoking ... more than one cigarette a day, but we let [people] be lonely for years and years, and then it increases the risk of depression, … increases dementia and also increases the visits to the ER," John said. "It's one of those silent maladies, silent epidemics." 'Do you feel lonely?' Social isolation and loneliness are similar, but the not the same. "Social isolation is the objective physical separation from other people—like living alone," John said. "Loneliness is subjective, with distressed feelings of being alone and separated. It's possible to feel lonely while among other people. You can also be alone and not feel lonely." This distinction is based on research by the late John Cacioppo, Ph.D., former director of the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, who pioneered the field of social neuroscience. Loneliness is a "significant public health concern" that leads to an increase in physician visits, Cacioppo wrote in a study published in 2015 in the American Journal of Public Health. Unfortunately, the topic of loneli- ness tends not to come up during those office visits. By asking the right questions of patients young and old, doctors are better equipped to advise and direct them toward reducing feelings of loneliness and improving their overall quality of life. "It's worth a clinician's time to make inquiries: 'Do you feel lonely? Do you feel socially isolated? How can we help you in this regard?'" Roush said. When it comes to finding the best social connections, experts said, quality trumps quantity every time. Establishing strong, meaning- ful relationships and a sense of community will take time and effort, but it will nourish the mind, body and soul. "Creating communities should be a No. 1 priority," John said. "We need a community of peers to sus- tain our well-being."

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