It is good to see mainstream media catching up to what neuro-psychiatry and pain psychiatry has been saying for a while: “In our brains too, physical and social pain share much the same neural circuitry.” The affects on health of social rejection are not limited to pain, however…for example abundant research has shown adverse effects of loss of a spouse through divorce on heart health and longevity, and that social isolation reduces immune functioning. So here we have more reasons to support kindness, closeness and respectful caring in our culture…it’s healthier for all of us! Read on:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-mood-pain-20110404,0,6296917.story