Living longer - bad news for Aspies.

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Robbed from the Washington Post today. This is the first of three things in an article about living a longer life. It seems to be bad news for ASDs because Item No. One is healthy interpersonal relationships. (Note to those who do not think they will ever have long-term love relationships: you can. You WILL find someone deeply in love with you if you try. It is not easy.)
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Face-to-face social interaction leads to a longer life
Smoking, drinking, exercise and even heart problems are not predictors of a person’s longevity — a person’s close relationships and social integration were. That’s what psychologist Susan Pinker has discovered in researching the impact that our human connections have on all aspects of our well-being, including our physical health. Those with intimacy in their lives, those with support systems and frequent face-to-face interactions were not only physically and emotionally healthier, but they also lived longer.
It’s why women, who tend to prioritize spending time with their friends more than men, live an average of six years longer, Pinker said. And it’s not enough to text or email. The actual health benefits of socializing are only achieved through in-person contact, she said.
“Face-to-face contact releases a whole cascade of neurotransmitters and, like a vaccine, they protect you now in the present and well into the future,” she said.
And it doesn’t even have to be long, close interactions to have an immediate effect. Making eye contact, shaking someone’s hand, giving someone a high-five lowers your cortisone levels and releases dopamine, making you less stressed and giving you a little high, she said. Pinker showed two images of the brain, one of someone conversing in person and another of someone watching a video of someone discussing the same subject. In the brain of the person interacting, parts of the brain associated with social intelligence and emotional reward lit up.
“This face-to-face contact provides stunning benefits, but a quarter of the population says they have no one to talk to,” Pinker said. “We can do something about this. It’s a biological imperative to know we belong. … Building in-person interactions into our cities, into our workplaces, into our agendas, bolsters our immune system, sends positive hormones surging through our bloodstream and brain and helps us live longer. I call this building your village, and building it is a matter of life or death.”
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Every week a stupid new pseudoscientific study. Don't listen to it.

Another half-truth to be taken with a grain of salt.

That's maybe one of several minor factors that play into it and don't take getting hit by a bus into account.

The two main factors in longevity are genetics and lifestyle (meaning tobacco, alcohol, lack of sleep, junk food only diet etc)

There is a difference between taking time for yourself and the pervasive loneliness that shortens people's lives. Still, I get tired of reading these studies. I think reading too many studies shortens your life.

It is by nature is a study of neurotypicals so it would not take into account the stress in getting and maintaining a relationship for an autistic. It does not take into account the stresses involved in feeling like a failure because of the constant messages that love is grand and solitary existence is both bad (there are articles similar to what was published in the Post printed all the time) and your fault. I am not saying there are not plenty of aspies that are extroverts or just need some lovin and have their lives shortened because they can't get it.

I think our brains work differently than those of NTs in this regard. I know our emotional reward centers are different in some way, and making eye contact most definitely does not make me less stressed; quite the opposite actually. I think if they had an autistic person to research, they would find some very different things.

Couldn't having a pet give aspies most of that with out a lot of grief potential . Spent most of my life wondering if it was just cowardice that kept me living .Suppose not quitting has to be hard wired in most of us. Still longevity without reason not particularly interested .