<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"What do you take for a headache or for muscle aches? Aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol? One of these may have some interesting and newly discovered mental health benefits, say researchers ... The pain killer that makes you, well, happier, according to researchers? Acetaminophen (aka Tylenol), or so say psychologists at the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology who believe they have uncovered evidence that acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) may soften &amp;quot;social pain.&amp;quot; You know--bad breakup, mean friends, evil mother-in-law. According to lead researcher C. Nathan DeWall, acetaminophen could have surprising mental health benefits. Scientists have long known that physical and social pain appear to overlap in the brain, relying on some of the same &amp;quot;behavioral and neural mechanisms.&amp;quot; So, DeWall wondered if pain killers could curb emotional distress, just like they zap physical pain. Turns out: Tylenol does the trick. In the small study of 60 people, which is set to be published in the journal Psychological Science, they found that acetaminophen helped minimize hurt feelings. Of course, much more research is needed to answer questions about other pain relievers--over the counter and otherwise--and their ability to improve mental health. And, another important note: DeWall and his colleagues are quick to point out that this doesn&amp;#x27;t mean any of us should start stockpiling Tylenol. Long-term use and overuse of acetaminophen &amp;quot;has also been linked to serious liver damage, so it is important for patients to follow all package directions and consult their physicians if they are contemplating taking any medication for an off-label use,&amp;quot; notes ScienceDaily. But, I&amp;#x27;m still fascinated with this mental-psychical pain connection. Interesting, isn&amp;#x27;t it? Tell me, have you ever felt better--mentally--after taking Tylenol? More reading: *Has your doctor&amp;#x27;s knowledge ... expired? *Do you look young or old for your age? What it could say about your health ... *Fact or fiction: cell phones and brain damage ... More Ways to Get Glamour You could win $50,000 just for registering or logging in to Glamour.com! Sign up for Glamour.com&amp;#x27;s Style Tips of the Week and Beauty Tip of the Day newsletters! Add Glamour to your iGoogle homepage. Follow us on Twitter! Photo: Jens Mortensen "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/12/surprising-news-this-over-the->