Emotional Pain Killers

Two recent experiments suggest that taking a common pain reliever can ease emotional as well as physical pain. The Boston Globe reports on a surprising new find. “Physical pain isn’t the only kind of pain. Our feelings can also be hurt. So researchers wondered whether acetaminophen, which acts on the central nervous system, could blunt social pain, too. In one experiment, healthy college students were randomly assigned to take acetaminophen or a placebo twice a day for three weeks. Those who took acetaminophen reported experiencing significantly fewer hurt feelings.”