Hurt feelings as real as physical pain: studies show - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ABlairican Pie · 10-14-2003, 11:12 PM

Oct. 10, 2003 --

The pain of hurt feelings is as real as the pain of physical injury, new brain studies show.

The findings appear in the Oct. 10 issue of the journal Science. UCLA researcher Matthew D. Lieberman, PhD, used real-time brain scans to map brain activity in people feeling social distress.

The findings: The areas of the brain that light up when a person feels physical pain also light up when a person's feelings are hurt.

"We use physical metaphors to describe social pain like 'a broken heart' or 'hurt feelings,'" Lieberman says in a news release. "Now we see that there is a good reason for this."

The Pain of Monkey-in-the-Middle

Remarkably, the experiment by Lieberman and co-workers Naomi I. Eisenberger and Kipling D. Williams, PhD, didn't hurt the 13 student volunteers very much.

Encased in an MRI brain-scanning machine, the students played a simple video game. They were one of three players tossing a virtual ball to one another. At first, the students had to watch as the other two players tossed the ball. Then their controls became active, and they played for awhile. But soon the two other players -- computerized stooges, really -- played only with each other. As the students realized they were being left out, it hurt.

This made the area associated with pain light up. The more activity in a student's pain area, the more painful the student rated the experience.

"We can say being excluded doesn't matter, but rejection of any form still appears to register automatically in the brain," Lieberman says.

The Healing Power of Language

But the pain area wasn't the only part of the brain to become active. Being left out also activated an area associated with language and the regulation of emotion. Students with more activity in this area reported less pain.

"Verbalizing distress may partly shut down the areas of the brain that register distress," Lieberman says. "The regulating abilities of the prefrontal cortex may be why therapy and expressing painful feelings in poems and diaries is therapeutic."

Humans Are Social Animals

Why did the human brain evolve to feel emotional pain? In this we aren't alone. Social loss triggers distress signals in the brains of other animals whose survival depends on social bonds, notes an accompanying editorial by Jaak Panksepp, PhD. Panksepp is a researcher at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

"Psychological pain in humans, especially grief and intense loneliness, may share some of the same neural pathways that elaborate physical pain," Panksepp writes.

The reason appears to be survival. Emotional pain hurts. We move closer to others to relieve the pain. Over millions of years, we've evolved this to a fine art.

"These findings show how deeply rooted our need is for social connection," Eisenberger says in a news release. "There's something about exclusion from others that is perceived as being as harmful to our survival as something that can physically hurt us, and our body automatically knows this."

Love Conquers Pain

If all this is true -- and more study is needed -- it stands to reason that love might be an antidote.

"Throughout history, poets have written about the pain of a broken heart. It seems that such poetic insights into the human condition are now supported by neurophysiological findings," Panksepp notes. "Will the opposite also prove to be the case -- that socially supportive and loving feelings reduce the sting of pain? A reasonable working hypothesis is that social feelings such as love are constructed from brain neural circuits that alleviate the feelings of social isolation."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCES: Eisenberger, N.I. Science, Oct. 10, 2003; vol 302: pp 290-292. Panksepp, J. Science, Oct. 10, 2003; vol 302. News release, University of California, Los Angeles.

© 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

MonarC · 10-14-2003, 11:22 PM

I believe it... I have felt it and it's not fun at all

dandelion wine · 10-14-2003, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MonarC
I believe it... I have felt it and it's not fun at all

Me, too.

I was just reading this article earlier today, and I believe it.

Brad Russ · 10-15-2003, 12:33 AM

This doesn't surprise me one bit. Words, and hurt feelings can literally feel like your insides are being ripped apart, the same way a knife can cut you physically. I'm sure if you looked at studies for people who committed suicide, there would be more people who did it because of emotional pain, as opposed to physical pain. Physical pain, in most cases, eventually goes away, while many emotional scars end up lasting a lifetime. I think the study I would be most interested in seeing is whether or not long term emotional pain can lead to physical problems down the road. I think the results to a study like that would surprise alot of people.

MonarC · 10-15-2003, 12:38 AM

heartache is the worst...and crying

Brian · 10-15-2003, 12:44 AM

This is what I've always thought of. As far as I'm concerned the old cliche saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is null and void. There have been numerous instances in my lifetime in which people have hurt my feelings which raged to varying degrees, some hurting more than a dislocated hip and dislocating your hip is the most painful thing you can ever do to your body.

dawsongirl · 10-15-2003, 03:14 AM

Never been punched in the stomach, but I've been so upset I've felt like I have.

animalcrackers · 10-15-2003, 09:00 AM

Being left out, being teased, being made fun of are some of the worst feelings. I have been thru that and I promised myself along time ago I would never do that to anyone.

10-14-2003, 11:12 PM	#1
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	Hurt feelings as real as physical pain: studies show Oct. 10, 2003 -- The pain of hurt feelings is as real as the pain of physical injury, new brain studies show. The findings appear in the Oct. 10 issue of the journal Science. UCLA researcher Matthew D. Lieberman, PhD, used real-time brain scans to map brain activity in people feeling social distress. The findings: The areas of the brain that light up when a person feels physical pain also light up when a person's feelings are hurt. "We use physical metaphors to describe social pain like 'a broken heart' or 'hurt feelings,'" Lieberman says in a news release. "Now we see that there is a good reason for this." The Pain of Monkey-in-the-Middle Remarkably, the experiment by Lieberman and co-workers Naomi I. Eisenberger and Kipling D. Williams, PhD, didn't hurt the 13 student volunteers very much. Encased in an MRI brain-scanning machine, the students played a simple video game. They were one of three players tossing a virtual ball to one another. At first, the students had to watch as the other two players tossed the ball. Then their controls became active, and they played for awhile. But soon the two other players -- computerized stooges, really -- played only with each other. As the students realized they were being left out, it hurt. This made the area associated with pain light up. The more activity in a student's pain area, the more painful the student rated the experience. "We can say being excluded doesn't matter, but rejection of any form still appears to register automatically in the brain," Lieberman says. The Healing Power of Language But the pain area wasn't the only part of the brain to become active. Being left out also activated an area associated with language and the regulation of emotion. Students with more activity in this area reported less pain. "Verbalizing distress may partly shut down the areas of the brain that register distress," Lieberman says. "The regulating abilities of the prefrontal cortex may be why therapy and expressing painful feelings in poems and diaries is therapeutic." Humans Are Social Animals Why did the human brain evolve to feel emotional pain? In this we aren't alone. Social loss triggers distress signals in the brains of other animals whose survival depends on social bonds, notes an accompanying editorial by Jaak Panksepp, PhD. Panksepp is a researcher at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. "Psychological pain in humans, especially grief and intense loneliness, may share some of the same neural pathways that elaborate physical pain," Panksepp writes. The reason appears to be survival. Emotional pain hurts. We move closer to others to relieve the pain. Over millions of years, we've evolved this to a fine art. "These findings show how deeply rooted our need is for social connection," Eisenberger says in a news release. "There's something about exclusion from others that is perceived as being as harmful to our survival as something that can physically hurt us, and our body automatically knows this." Love Conquers Pain If all this is true -- and more study is needed -- it stands to reason that love might be an antidote. "Throughout history, poets have written about the pain of a broken heart. It seems that such poetic insights into the human condition are now supported by neurophysiological findings," Panksepp notes. "Will the opposite also prove to be the case -- that socially supportive and loving feelings reduce the sting of pain? A reasonable working hypothesis is that social feelings such as love are constructed from brain neural circuits that alleviate the feelings of social isolation." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCES: Eisenberger, N.I. Science, Oct. 10, 2003; vol 302: pp 290-292. Panksepp, J. Science, Oct. 10, 2003; vol 302. News release, University of California, Los Angeles. © 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

10-15-2003, 12:33 AM	#4
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	This doesn't surprise me one bit. Words, and hurt feelings can literally feel like your insides are being ripped apart, the same way a knife can cut you physically. I'm sure if you looked at studies for people who committed suicide, there would be more people who did it because of emotional pain, as opposed to physical pain. Physical pain, in most cases, eventually goes away, while many emotional scars end up lasting a lifetime. I think the study I would be most interested in seeing is whether or not long term emotional pain can lead to physical problems down the road. I think the results to a study like that would surprise alot of people.
	__________________ St. John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Currently my favorite song.

10-14-2003, 11:22 PM	#2
MonarC The truth will set you free Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 05, 2002 Location: 3rd Stone From The Sun Posts: 9,525	I believe it... I have felt it and it's not fun at all

10-15-2003, 12:38 AM	#5
MonarC The truth will set you free Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 05, 2002 Location: 3rd Stone From The Sun Posts: 9,525	heartache is the worst...and crying

10-15-2003, 12:44 AM	#6
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	This is what I've always thought of. As far as I'm concerned the old cliche saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is null and void. There have been numerous instances in my lifetime in which people have hurt my feelings which raged to varying degrees, some hurting more than a dislocated hip and dislocating your hip is the most painful thing you can ever do to your body.

10-15-2003, 03:14 AM	#7
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	Never been punched in the stomach, but I've been so upset I've felt like I have.

10-15-2003, 09:00 AM	#8
animalcrackers Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 24, 2002 Location: The Backseat Of Fonzie's Bike Posts: 1,603	Being left out, being teased, being made fun of are some of the worst feelings. I have been thru that and I promised myself along time ago I would never do that to anyone.