You might be surprised to learn what a big effect who you trust has on your health.  How do you define trust?  The American Heritage Dictionary defines trust as a “firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing; confident belief; faith.” 

Most people would have a definition that is along the lines of that.   In a study that was done in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they found that “the quality of interaction or trust between the patient and the physician can be extremely influential in patient outcomes, and in some (perhaps many) cases, patient and provider expectations and interactions maybe more important than the specific treatments.”  What that means is that if you trust your physician, you will have a better outcome if you get sick.

How does this happen?  Well, healthy and trusting relationships often give you a sense of love and belonging (and this holds true with both your family and others that are in your life).  When we interact with a person we have a trusting relationship with, oxytocin is released within our brains as part of the recognition process.  Studies have shown that oxytocin is responsible for the feelings of well-being and inhibits the stress hormone cortisol.

In our lives, we often are surrounded by challenges both big and small.  Knowing that we have people surrounding us that both love and trust us can have profound and positive effects.