Sensitivity to Physical Pain and Social Rejection Pain Related

In an interesting article on the Medical News website, Genetic Link Between Physical Pain and Social Rejection Discovered By Researchers, UCLA psychologists have found that individuals who have a low threshold for physical pain also have a low threshold when it comes to dealing with social rejection.

This means that if you have a difficult time dealing when you have a headache or stub your toe, you probably have a difficult time dealing with the loss of a friend or breaking up with a mate. Alternatively, individuals who don’t seem to be bothered by physical pain such as headaches or small injuries, may also be able to recover quickly with minimal hurt feelings when rejected by a friend or lover.

The researchers found that a gene that is responsible for your painkillers (mu-opioids) is not only affecting your reaction to physical pain but social pain as well.

Using This Information

You can do a lot with these findings. If you have children, you can notice how they handle injuries and speculate how they will deal with social situations later on. You can also use this information to learn more about people you don’t know well. If you meet someone and notice he/she complains at the slightest ailment, you can suspect that if you reject the person, it may be devastating to him/her.

(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/butterflysha/123924442/)

August 17th, 2009 by Marcelina Hardy | Posted in Genetics and Society | (1)