It’s the Tylenol talking

The Culprit    (Image by Benjah-bmm27)

Said some things to your spouse that weren’t very nice?  Now you have the perfect alibi:  It’s the Tylenol talking.

Drugs that include acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, not only dull your own pain, but also your ability to sense the suffering of others.  In other words, pop a Tylenol and you may be less empathetic.

University of Ohio researchers aren't quite sure why this occurs, but explain that the same brain region that is activated when feeling pain is also activated when imagining another’s pain.  Therefore, what diminishes the brain's pain response might also diminish its empathy response.

Acetaminophen is not only found within Tylenol, but also within “more than 600 medicines.”  It is taken by about “23 percent of American adults (about 52 million people) each week.”  Could this be partly why U. S. headlines seem bleaker and bleaker each year?

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/taking-a-painkiller-to-reduce-your-pain-could-also-reduce-your-empathy-for-others/ar-BBsSBo 

Copyright May 13, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved