OT: Genetics/Immune System/Loneliness

I just read a story on Yahoo news about a study showing a relation between "haywire" immune systems, genes, and loneliness.  Notice after reading carefully, they steamroll immediately over the idea that genetics or something outside of human control is what causes the inflammation/sickness and the social isolation to begin with.  To clarify:  I am not simply saying that the inflammation/sickness makes socializing more inconvinient or undesireable per se, but that something maybe very biological (like a defecit in a chemical that promotes human bonding) is perhaps also going on.  Instead, they drag out the old shoe that social support is beneficial to virtually all conditions.  Which came first the chicken or the egg?

With all due respect, my point is that in a scientific study like the one I cited, they really need to clarify why they are making out a correlation (loneliness and inflammation let's say) to actually be a specific type of causation ("avoidance" --> inflammation let's say)

That's just bad science. In all fairness, my point is discussed in the study, so I am not sure if the media that simply reported on the study is responsible for this spin or not.

I think in these modern times we have become afraid of admitting things can happen outside of our control. I believe we have freewill and are not deterministic machines, but I believe our freedom comes from the choices we make in spite of the elements that attempt to determine us.

Why is it any less likely that something about the disease process in inflammatory conditions also contributes in a direct, chemical, biological way to behaviors like social withdrawl or for that matter depression or anxiety? By the way, even if this turned out to be true, it wouldn't be a license for resignation, but would hopefully spawn novel treatments that would help people (not to make pharma companies stocks go up).


Obviously we all need to have wonderful self-concepts, positive social interactions, immaculate mental hygeine. But often modern Cognitive/Behavioral Psychology turns into psycho-babble that seems to me to in fact turn humans into computers, quantify us, rather than making us the captains of our destiny. But I am not trying to enter into apologetics for the sake of my personal philosophy. I simply want pragmatic ways to find treatments for the urgent health issues that affect humanity.

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Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 6/2006 at age 26 after sudden E.R. visit

But ironically, I guess my main point is, scientists are up against enough in the search for better treatments for these conditions.  The last thing we need is to try to fit the data into pre-formed concepts where there is actually ambiguity as to how to interpret the results.  Scientists should look for pragmatic solutions, for whatever will work, and think outside the box (medical model).  Because the "box" already has many preconceived notions inherent in it.  Like the Cartesian mind/body problem. 

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Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 6/2006 at age 26 after sudden E.R. visit