Thinking Of Loved Ones Helps To Reduce Pain

Thinking Of Loved Ones Helps To Reduce Pain: Study

LOS ANGELS, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- The mere thought of loved ones can help reduce pain that underscores the importance of the social relationships and staying socially connected, China's Xinhua news agency reported, citing a study conducted by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

This study demonstrates how much of an impact our social ties can have on our experiences and fits with other work, emphasizing the importance of social support for physical and mental health," study co-author Naomi Eisenberger said.

Eisenberger, who is also the Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of UCLA's Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, said 25 women, who are in good relationship with their boyfriends respectively, were shown their loved ones photographs, and asked whether it can reduce their pain.

During this study, the women received moderately painful heat stimuli to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions. In one set of conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair, Xinhua cited the studying as saying.

Eisenberger, citing the study, said that the women felt less pain to the heat stimuli when they are looking at their boyfriends picture, compare to the photograph of the chair or the stranger.

"Thus, the mere reminder of one's partner through a simple photograph was capable of reducing pain."

In another set of conditions, each woman held the hand of her boyfriend, the hand of a male stranger and a squeeze ball.

The study found that when women were holding their boyfriends' hands, they reported less physical pain than when they were holding a stranger's hand or a ball while receiving the same amount of heat stimulation.

"This changes our notion of how social support influences people," Eisenberger said.

He added that in order for social support to make one feeling good, that person should have some kind of support, which are very responsive to the emotional needs.

He also advised those people who are going through a stressful or painful experience, should bring a photo of their loved ones, if they cannot bring a loved one with them.

The study appears in the November 2009 issue of the journal Psychological Science.

-- BERNAMA