Picture a bar fight erupting after someone has had one too many drinks. We’ve all heard tales of alcohol sparking aggressive behavior, but what if I told you there’s a compelling scientific reason behind this?
A groundbreaking study reveals that alcohol actually alters our perception of pain, making us less sensitive and potentially more prone to inflict harm on others.
Conducted by researchers from The Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky, and First Choice Psychology Clinic, Inc., this study uncovers an intriguing connection between alcohol consumption, pain tolerance, and aggression. Published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, their findings suggest that drinking reduces sensitivity to physical pain — a crucial factor that could explain why alcohol often escalates aggression. This insight not only deepens our understanding but also underscores the importance of addressing alcohol’s impact on behavior.
“We’ve all heard the idiom ‘I feel your pain,’” says study co-author Brad Bushman, a professor of communication at Ohio State, in a university release. “But if intoxicated people can’t feel their own pain, they might be less likely to feel empathy when others feel pain, and that could lead them to be more aggressive.”
Conducted with 870 healthy social drinkers aged 21-35, the research divided participants into two groups: one consumed alcohol, while the other received a placebo. Following consumption, they underwent electric shock tests to assess their pain threshold and participated in a task where they selected shock intensity for an opponent upon winning a trial.
Participants who consumed alcohol had a higher pain threshold, enduring more intense electric shocks before feeling pain. Moreover, they also delivered stronger shocks to others in the trial.
This suggests that alcohol significantly affects pain perception and behavior, which is crucial for understanding its broader effects.
These findings also highlight the significant impact alcohol can have on our behavior and decision-making processes, underscoring the importance of understanding its effects more deeply.
“There are many reasons that intoxicated people are more likely to intentionally hurt others, but this research suggests pain tolerance is one possible reason,” Prof. Bushman stated.
“The effects of alcohol on pain tolerance may be higher for those who drink more than what they did in these experiments,” Bushman continues. “That may make them even more willing to be aggressive against others.”
Can alcohol really lower pain tolerance?
Consider the astonishing story of Charles Joughin, the Titanic’s baker. After reportedly consuming a significant amount of hard alcohol, he casually stepped off the stern of the sinking ship.
Amidst the chaos and despair as 1,500 terrified individuals succumbed to freezing waters around him, Joughin remained remarkably composed. He calmly floated until dawn and was eventually rescued by a lifeboat. Remarkably resilient, he returned to work just days later.
Here’s the kicker: Alcohol should work against someone in that situation because they are at greater risk of hypothermia. At -2 C, the North Atlantic water was cold enough to quickly tighten Joughin’s blood vessels and cancel out any effect of the alcohol. At low to moderate alcohol levels, the cold typically prevails.
So, why didn’t it? Maybe Joughin was super trashed?
The remarkable story of Joughin’s survival, possibly aided by his alcohol-induced increased tolerance for frigid waters, offers compelling support for recent findings on alcohol’s impact on pain management. While not a flawless example, it highlights how alcohol’s calming effects have historically endowed individuals with an extraordinary ability to endure and recover from traumatic events. Recognizing this aspect can deepen our understanding of its role in resilience and recovery.
And consider this: A poignant discovery from a study examining 14 years of hospital data in Illinois found that victims of stabbings and gunshots had higher survival rates when they were more inebriated. This intriguing connection hints at the possibility that while easing pain, alcohol might also contribute to strengthening the body’s resilience during such traumatic injuries.
It’s a reminder of how complex and unexpected the human body’s responses can be.
Findings: The study provides compelling evidence on how alcohol affects our perception of pain, potentially making us less sensitive and more likely to harm others. How or if it also strengthens the body’s overall, physical resilience is not yet known or fully understood.
Understanding the apparent dual nature of alcohol can help us approach these findings sensibly.