Might Anxiety Be A Form of Pain?

Recently, a dose of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to reduce anxiety responses to a surrealistic film. Previously, it had been shown to reduce MRI evidence of the effects of social rejection. Together, it suggests anixety/social rejection is another form of pain.

I had previously wrote on how depression could be a form of pain given a subset of depressive subjects responds rather dramatically to ketamine, an NMDA/Glutamate pain receptor blocker.

Depression is a Form of Pain and Ketamine May be a Cure if One Can Make It Last

Now two studies have shown a link of anxiety to pain through relief of anxiety/social rejection pain with acetaminophen:

Psychol Sci. 2013 Apr 11. [Epub ahead of print]
The Common Pain of Surrealism and Death: Acetaminophen Reduces Compensatory Affirmation Following Meaning Threats.
Randles D, Heine SJ, Santos N.  abstract here

Psychol Sci. 2010 Jul;21(7):931-7.
Acetaminophen reduces social pain: behavioral and neural evidence.
Dewall CN, Macdonald G, Webster GD, Masten CL, Baumeister RF, Powell C, Combs D,  Schurtz DR, Stillman TF, Tice DM, Eisenberger NI. abstract here

  • Present study suggesteded that a surrealistic film can induce and unpleasant arousal, and acetaminophen helped block that effect
  • MRI study found that the area of the brain where social rejection is experienced is less affected by social rejection when given acetaminophen.

Comment – It is well known that chronic pain patients subjected to insurer “caretakers” are considerably worse off pain-wise – something that is rectified when a settlement is reached. The impetus of a caseworker is cost containment, not helping the client. This translates into confrontational situations where painful fuctional capacity assessments, considered by some of doubious long-term significance, are inflicted on pain patients, and checks being late or withheld and coverage for massage and so forth rejected leads to considerable social pain and anxiety. Now it is clear this naturally leads to more pain. It has been reported that injured subjects feel they would be better off without these “caregivers”.

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