RELY ON THE POWER OF OTHERS

“Nobody wants to stick his or her hand in a bucket of ice water and leave it there until the pain is overwhelming, but that’s exactly what participants in one study were asked to do. Some participants had to sit by themselves, while others were allowed to sit with a stranger or even a friend. The participants sitting by themselves experienced much greater levels of pain, while having a friend say supportive things greatly reduced the pain. In fact, even having a total stranger voice support or just passively sit with the participant caused the same benefits.

This same effect is seen in patients with chronic pain. In one study, patients who had their significant other present experienced greatly reduced sensations of pain. Surprisingly, sometimes even just thinking about a loved one is enough to reduce pain. Even more surprisingly, the same is true for talking to a stranger. Pain is an internal sensation and is heightened when you focus on it. Because talking with other people activates prefrontal social circuitry, it can help shift the brain’s focus away from pain.”

-- Alex Korb PhD from The Upward Spiral