The invaluable help of the people closest to us in getting us through difficult times and even physical pain has been confirmed by science. According to new research, friends are even better than morphine!
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"When you are sad, a friend opens your heart and throws handfuls of light", says an aphorism by Fabrizio Caramagna. Well, the precious help of the people closest to us in making us overcome the difficult moments and even the physical pain was confirmed by science: friends would be even better than morphine!
There has been talk of this possibility for some time but now new research from the British University of Oxford has confirmed that friends help to better cope with pain and keep depression away. All this is possible because, when we are in their company, many endorphins are released, substances useful to make us try feelings of well-being, gratification and to regulate mood.
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So is there a link between the onset of depression, a lower level of endorphins and few friends? According to Katerina Johnson, study coordinator, the answer could be yes:
“The findings are also interesting because recent research suggests that the endorphin circuit can be disrupted in disorders such as depression and this could also explain why depressed people often lead a more socially withdrawn life ”.
The experiment on which the study was based, published in Scientific Reports, was carried out in a very simple way. First, the researchers had an ai questionnaire filled out 101 volunteers (between 18 and 34 years old) in which each had to specify the main aspects of his social relations. Then they all underwent a small pain test which consisted of staying in a very uncomfortable position (squat position with back straight against the wall) for as long as they could resist.
It was thus seen that, just those who had the most friends, were also the ones who they resisted better and longerthus showing pain tolerance similar to that of taking morphine.
Friends, therefore (science confirms this), are real natural pain relievers, you just have to take advantage of it!
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