{"id":767,"date":"2010-09-16T17:49:18","date_gmt":"2010-09-16T21:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/ombs\/?p=767"},"modified":"2010-09-16T17:49:18","modified_gmt":"2010-09-16T21:49:18","slug":"down-and-out-try-a-tylenol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/2010\/09\/16\/down-and-out-try-a-tylenol\/","title":{"rendered":"Down and Out? Try a Tylenol."},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all experienced the distinct effects of a nice analgesic, whether it \"anguish\"was amidst a debilitating rhinovirus, or after one of those over-did-it<\/em> workouts:\u00a0\u00a0 the ease of movement, the decrease in physical stress, and most importantly the shift of focus from your pain to reality. \u00a0We should all be thrilled then, to learn that on top of reducing physical symptoms of pain, drugs normally taken to alleviate minor aches and pains could actually work to reduce the emotional twinge of social rejection, according to recent research.<\/p>\n

The study, powered by C. Nathan DeWall of the University of Kentucky, gave volunteers either acetaminophen or placebo, and then subjected them to a game of virtual ball-toss.\u00a0 Over time, subjects were gradually rejected from the game.\u00a0 Those who had been given the analgesic demonstrated signs that they experienced fewer feelings of rejection, as was inferred through brain imaging of the anterior cingulate cortex, an area associated with feelings of emotional pain and desperation.<\/p>\n

DeWall and his colleagues also demonstrated the effects of acetaminophen on a person\u2019s moral judgment.\u00a0 When confronted with typical ethical quandaries, such as whether or not it\u2019s right to sacrifice one person to ensure the safety of others, subjects showed less hesitancy in declaring their moral choice.<\/p>\n

Though these researchers are quick to point out that no one should expect to correct their emotional problems with such a common drug, I think it\u2019s important to realize just how effective a small chemical push towards recovering from a refusal could be.\u00a0 So often, when met with defeat or failure, it\u2019s our natural reaction to dwell on our lack of fortune, to lose confidence or determination, or simply to become angry and resentful.\u00a0 In a world where there\u2019s a constant competition for success, our failings become exaggerated, and our emotional anguish increases.\u00a0 As more and more Americans (over 27 million) elect to take strong psychotropic prescription antidepressants, it\u2019s comforting to think that a slight mood improvement can be afforded through more mild drugs like Tylenol.\u00a0 Of course, acetaminophen has its own dangers, and causes liver failure if abused.\u00a0 Still, whether one is applying to graduate schools and jobs, or asking someone out on a date, a little Tylenol couldn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

Social Analgesics<\/a>– Gary Stix<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all experienced the distinct effects of a nice analgesic, whether it was amidst a debilitating rhinovirus, or after one of those over-did-it workouts:\u00a0\u00a0 the ease of movement, the decrease in physical stress, and most importantly the shift of focus from your pain to reality. \u00a0We should all be thrilled then, to learn that on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7102,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[742,1364,980,981],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/ombs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}