108 Pearls to Awaken Your Healing Potential: A Cardiologist Translates the Science of Health and Healing into Practice by Mimi Guarneri M.D

Author:Mimi Guarneri, M.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hay House, Inc.
Published: 2017-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

63. Find Love. It Can Save Your Life.

There is no greater emotion than love. It makes life worth living—and could help you live longer, too. In a study published in The American Journal of Medicine, 10,000 men with multiple cardiac risk factors were asked if they felt loved by their wives. Five years later, the men who had responded that their wives showed them love had a 50 percent lower rate of coronary artery disease than those who said their wives didn’t.

In another study of more than 9,000 British civil servants, researchers looked at the relationship between unhappy marriages and heart disease over a 12-year period of time. They concluded that unhappy marriages, which often contain a great deal of stress, led to 34 percent more coronary events—regardless of gender and social status.

Why are loving relationships so important to good health? One reason may be that having a close, loving connection with someone provides a confidant, particularly during times of stress. Relationships provide companionship for dinner, travel, or going to the movies. People who are married or have a confidant live longer than those who are unmarried or have no one in whom to confide. We are human beings, and part of the human journey is to to be connected to people and purpose.

Your loving relationships don’t have to be limited to individuals. Saint Mother Teresa, for example, loved God. It was her love for God and seeing the divine in every human being that led to her powerful work in caring for the sick and underserved. Her love was for a higher power, and through that love she was able to transform the world.

Others may find pets to be a source of unconditional love. Years ago, I cared for a woman who was isolated and depressed; she had lost her will to live and truly had a broken heart. I prescribed for her an unusual treatment: adopt a dog. She took my suggestion to heart and adopted Shadow, an adorable poodle puppy. From that moment on, the dog was always by her side. Every day she walked Shadow and began to make new friends at the park. Slowly, her depression lifted. It was amazing to see how one little puppy could fill her life with so much joy. “I have a reason to live, Dr. Guarneri,” she told me. “Shadow keeps me going.”

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