It is no secret that the presence of loved ones is healing: for example, when a friend or one of our relatives is nearby, it is easier for us to endure pain. But it turns out that in order to cope with anxiety and fear, it is enough … to pick up something warm.
It has long been known that our body reacts to danger by going into fight-or-flight mode or freezing. It is also known that if someone close is next to us at these moments, for example, a friend or partner, this reaction does not appear so brightly – or does not appear at all. Obviously, our brain reads their presence as a sign of safety. But, what is even more interesting, any physical heat can send a similar signal to our brain.
This conclusion was reached by a team of scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles led by Erica Hornstein. Researchers have found that we all tend to associate physical warmth with social support.
The possibilities for applying the results of this study are truly endless: first of all, the discovery may be useful in working with people with anxiety disorders. Especially with those who live alone and (or) can not stop reacting with anxiety to certain stimuli, as happens, in particular, in patients with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Heating pad, ball, electric shock
The study was conducted in two stages: in the first 31 subjects, they were given either a rubber ball, or a soft fluffy ball, or a heating pad, and then they were shocked – not much and not painful, but rather unpleasant. When the subject received the fourth object – a wooden block – no blow followed.
Scientists monitored how the body of the subjects reacted to what was happening, and measured their sweating. It turned out that the sufferers in the name of science quickly formed a fear reaction in response to a rubber ball and a fluffy ball, but not to a bar – and, surprisingly, not to a heating pad.
The heat emanating from the heating pad seemed to prevent participants from associating it with the threat of a blow.
When each subject was again given all the objects in turn, without using electric shock, the fear reaction to the ball and the ball was preserved.
In the second part of the study, another 30 people took part: they were no longer physically affected, but simply showed them a picture of a stun gun to form a fear response. When this happened, they were shown the same images again, but now the participants were holding a rubber ball or heating pad.
Guess what was the effect? That’s right – the heating pad “helped” the study participants not to be afraid.
Warm, more warm
Why do the support of others and physical warmth affect us in a similar way? Scientists hypothesize that because of the so-called endogenous opioids, naturally occurring sedative drugs that are synthesized in our brains, they are released in both cases.
It is not yet clear whether such a response to warmth is innate or whether we learn to consider it a sign of safety early in life, being around our mother or with another adult who cares for us. Scientists have yet to figure this out, but the fact that this happens in principle is a great discovery in itself.
Many have seen from their own experience more than once that a circle of understanding friends and loved ones provides us with support, but what if there are no such people around – at a given moment in time or in general in life? What if anxiety prevents you from building new connections with others or maintaining existing ones? The answer is simple: by all means provide yourself with physical warmth.
Pour yourself some warm tea. Fill the heating pad with hot water. Buy an electric blanket. Now, at this time of year, the warmth won’t hurt any of us.