# Why the #$%! Do We Swear? For Pain Relief



## Big Don (Jul 13, 2009)

July 12, 2009 		*Why the #$%! Do We Swear? For Pain Relief*

*Dropping the F-bomb or other expletives may not only be an expression of agony, but also a means to alleviate it*

 			By Frederik Joelving Scientific American EXCERPT:



 		 		Bad language could be good for you, a new study shows. For the first time, psychologists have found that swearing may serve an important function in relieving pain.

The study, published today in the journal _NeuroReport,_ measured how long college students could keep their hands immersed in cold water. During the chilly exercise, they could repeat an expletive of their choice or chant a neutral word. When swearing, the 67 student volunteers reported less pain and on average endured about 40 seconds longer.

Although cursing is notoriously decried in the public debate, researchers are now beginning to question the idea that the phenomenon is all bad. "Swearing is such a common response to pain that there has to be an underlying reason why we do it," says psychologist Richard Stephens of Keele University in England, who led the study. And indeed, the findings point to one possible benefit: "I would advise people, if they hurt themselves, to swear," he adds.

How swearing achieves its physical effects is unclear, but the researchers speculate that brain circuitry linked to emotion is involved. Earlier studies have shown that unlike normal language, which relies on the outer few millimeters in the left hemisphere of the brain, expletives hinge on evolutionarily ancient structures buried deep inside the right half.

One such structure is the amygdala, an almond-shaped group of neurons that can trigger a fight-or-flight response in which our heart rate climbs and we become less sensitive to pain. Indeed, the students' heart rates rose when they swore, a fact the researchers say suggests that the amygdala was activated.

That explanation is backed by other experts in the field.
END EXCERPT
I F$#&ing KNEW IT!


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## Ken Morgan (Jul 13, 2009)

I have a lot of pain....


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## crushing (Jul 13, 2009)

I saw that on the news this morning.  I was wondering if such words must remain _swearing_ and a bit of a taboo for it to work as a pain reliever.


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## CoryKS (Jul 13, 2009)

crushing said:


> I saw that on the news this morning. I was wondering if such words must remain _swearing_ and a bit of a taboo for it to work as a pain reliever.


 
I think they do have to remain taboo for it to work.  Those social codes are usually foremost in our mind, and I think the point of it is to convey how much pain you are experiencing to whomever is listening, like, "I am in so much pain that I can't concentrate on minding my manners."  Granted, these words don't have the shock value they used to have, but they still work pretty well.


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## Big Don (Jul 13, 2009)

crushing said:


> I saw that on the news this morning.  I was wondering if such words must remain _swearing_ and a bit of a taboo for it to work as a pain reliever.


The last paragraph:


> There is a catch, though: The more we swear, the less emotionally potent the words become, Stephens cautions. And without emotion, all that is left of a swearword is the word itself, unlikely to soothe anyone's pain.


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## terryl965 (Jul 13, 2009)

The pain is overwhelming


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## Flea (Jul 13, 2009)

Way f%3king cool!!  I remember a report a few years ago about the neurology of cursing, and what part of the brain controls it.  The theory is that the capacity to cuss resides in the limbic system, unlike the frontal lobes where most language skills are.  That why, the theory goes, people with major speech problems can still cuss like drunken sailors.


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## kaizasosei (Jul 13, 2009)

interesting, swearing is deffinately packs some power.  It may as well not be a swear word.  Actually, when i was a kid, the older bro of my friend vowed to give up swear words and substituted words like crumbs, krumpf, fudge,  etc... seems to me he really never sweared.  

seems that swearing is a kind of natural kiai. It may well be important part of dealing with pain.  All social connotations aside, i suppose.
I wonder if there is any connection at all to the mysterious turrets syndrome. I really wonder about that.  

I once experienced a very young kid of around ?10 or so, sitting in the train accompanied by an adult, assumed the boys father or guardian.  And the subway took off and everything seemed normal even when the kid starting this yelling and i do recall swearing.  At some point however, i started to notice that it was getting really intense to the point of the dad being uncomfortable although having a completely understanding attitude.  It was weird.   Because i always try to be perceptive and explain everything, i was sort of stumped.  

Could it be a simple habit?  ok, but then what triggers it to go off in the subway or whereever??  really made me think alot.  Still can't say i can really understand, but i figure that in addition to expressing communicating some certain experienced trauma, it must have something to do with quite a deep level of awareness of surroundings as well as some kind of communication having sensors and projectors or interface, that being the voice.  Or i could be wrong and it is simply chemical brain related,,etc.  
Having experienced this on many occasions, the most spookiest being the aforementioned kid, i must say that it seems very mysterious to me.

no idea


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