Psychologists said that will help reduce physical and emotional pain.
Friends can not only support us in difficult times, but also to share with us moments of joy. A new discovery of scientists proves that a strong friendship is still needed in severe physical pain.
Researchers from Oxford University believe: those who have more friends have a lower sensitivity to pain.
Friendship stimulates the production of endorphins in the body, which is known for its analgesic effect on the human body. In particular, endorphins are part of our scheme of pain and pleasure, and previous studies have shown that they contribute to establishing social contacts among people and animals.
One theory is that social interaction activates positive emotions when endorphins bind to opioid receptors, which are located in the human brain. Born exactly a pleasant feeling, when we meet with friends.
To test this theory, researchers relied on the fact that endorphins are powerful pain – even stronger than morphine. If this theory is true, then people with strong social ties had a lower sensitivity to pain.
“Research suggests that the quantity and quality of relationships with other people affects our physical and psychological health, and can also be a factor in life expectancy. As a species we have evolved to live in a rich social environment, but the digital age brings flaws in our interactions. This may be one of the factors of deterioration of health of modern society,” added the researcher.
