Link between emotional and physical pain

[Gaze]

Genetic Link for Physical and Mental Pain Sensitivity

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on August 18, 2009

A new research study has determined that a gene linked with physical pain sensitivity is also associated with social pain sensitivity. According to UCLA psychologists this is the first time the relationship has been established.

Their study indicates that variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection.

People with a rare form of the gene are more sensitive to rejection and experience more brain evidence of distress in response to rejection than those with the more common form.

The research was published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and will appear in the print version in the coming weeks.

The findings give weight to the common notion that rejection

 

[IndigoSensor]

I looooooove science articles like this! Nice find indeed.

I also very likely have this "rare" gene, unfortonately. My emotions very much cause physical pain and any sort of rejection really hurts me a lot (if I can't predict it or explain it).

 

[Gaze]

I looooooove science articles like this! Nice find indeed.

I also very likely have this "rare" gene, unfortonately. My emotions very much cause physical pain and any sort of rejection really hurts me a lot (if I can't predict it or explain it).

Yeah, it's funny because when i thought about it, i realized that i do feel a pang or sensation with any rejection i experience. It's not just emotional.

So, when we talk about "feelings" of rejection, it's physical as well as emotional pain we're experiencing. Very interesting stuff.

 

[Wyote]

Yep. Even the thought of being in that situation, being rejected with just a simple ball tossing, I can feel the anger, frustration, sadness... physically.

I have dna problems! LOL.

 

[Ecton]

This latest result suggests the same genes can be shown to affect assessment from two forms of stimuli. While this doesn't directly support a mind-body connection, I like to think there is one: It is possible that most every emotional response can be reflected in the body either as pain or posture in muscles and organs. Especially repressed emotional pain. Flight or fright is but one way this is observable.

 

[TinyBubbles]

this is a new study? i'm sure i've heard about it before anyway, it's interesting, and kind of makes a mockery out of that saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." guess they're one and the same on a biological level. i read a book once that elaborated on the concept, it said "humans' greatest fear is to be rejected, and our greatest desire is to be accepted." we're so sensitive to signals that we're rejected or accepted amongst others because, in the author's mind, acceptance confers an evolutionary advantage to those who are accepted, just as rejection confers a disadvantage. he emphasized that "being included matters" on a very basic level, because in times past, our very survival depended on it.