Helping Others Fights Pain!

Helping others fights pain!

That’s according to the journal Science.

In a series of experiments, conducted by the University of Kentucky, people who gave blood to help those in need said the needle hurt less than people simply having blood drawn for a blood test.

In a similar experiment, people who were volunteering to help children felt less discomfort when their hands were immersed in ice water than people who weren’t volunteering.

One more? Cancer patients who cleaned the rooms of other patients reported less pain than those who cleaned their own rooms.

The researchers say, altruism reduces feelings of pain because it makes you feel more in control, and provides a sense of purpose. And the regions of the brain that react to pain appear to be instantly deactivated by the experience of giving and helping.