Effect of words on the brain

Can Words Change the Brain? I Psych Central

Your brain responds to words in ways that affect your experience of the world. Taking care to use words that don’t cause harm to others can help protect them from trauma.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But is that true?

There has been a lot of research into the power of words. And the answer to that is no.

A person’s choice of language can affect not only how another person feels but how they perceive events around them.

Word use may even influence the experience of physical pain. What people know about certain words, including when they’re commonly used, also changes how people think about other words.

Positive verbal affirmations — or “good words”— can lift people up. Encouragement can improve physical performance.

Words can also cause harm. Childhood bullying, verbal abuse in domestic relationships, and even word choice by medical professionals can lead to emotional challenges.

When you’re faced with hurtful words, you can take steps to keep yourself safe. That can involve setting boundaries or seeking help and support from a mental health professional.

Brain imaging studies support the theory that words affect how people experience pain.

Using behavioral and fMRI data on 17 people who participated in the study, researchers in a 2019 study found that pain-related and negative words made the intensity of pain worse than neutral language.

In the study, the pain-related words created a stronger response in many areas of the brain, including the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

There’s also evidence to show that words affect perceptions of circumstances.

A 2016 study found that the context of words matters. People naturally import perceptions of certain words into new situations that are neutral. Researchers called this “semantic prosody,” where the precise meaning of a word comes from where it occurs in language.

In the study, an unclear medical outcome was perceived as negative when it was “caused” more often than when it was “produced.” The researchers concluded that the word “caused” is connected with something negative while “produced” is neutral.

Words can be so powerful, in fact, that they may affect how well someone heals from an injury.

A 2018 article recommended that doctors use new language to talk about well-known conditions to facilitate recovery. Among the author’s proposed replacements include using “normal age changes” instead of “chronic degenerative changes” and “needs more strength and control” instead of “instability.”

Many people may feel like words affect them on an emotional level. Someone expressing kindness may make them feel good, while negativity may bring them down.

There’s scientific evidence to back up these experiences. Specifically, researchers discovered positive words can help people perform better on exercise tests.

A 2021 study found that verbal encouragement, specifically the words “go, go, go” and “go as far as you can,” improved performance on a balance test for people experiencing chronic ankle instability.

The words didn’t improve performance for the control group of people without ankle instability.

Researchers proposed that a psychological component, such as fear, may stop people from performing at their best while experiencing an injury. But encouraging words may help them overcome those fears.

The results were similar in a 2020 study looking at the effects of a sports teacher’s encouraging words to teen players during small games. The games played with encouragement from the teacher resulted in increased physical intensity, greater enjoyment, and a more positive mood state among the players.

Words can make you feel better, but they can also cause hurt.

A 2019 study of college students found that verbal abuse from peers had real-life effects on daily life. Some people experienced a fear of being assertive and had trouble remembering appointments and obligations. Some also had physical changes and increased irritability.

There’s also evidence that psychological violence, not limited to verbal abuse, may cause negative mental health outcomes.

A 2022 review found that psychological violence was linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety in those who experienced it from intimate partners.

The strongest overall association was between psychological violence and PTSD. Emotional and verbal violence had the strongest association with depression.

It’s not easy to hear harmful words, but there are steps you can take to heal.

Words can be a form of verbal abuse in some cases. If you’re experiencing emotional or verbal abuse from a partner and are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you’re not in immediate danger, consider reaching out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 800-799-7233 or texting “START” to 88788. You can also talk with a mental health professional or a trusted friend or family member.

Harmful words can also be a form of bullying. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 5 high school students experience bullying at school, and more than 1 in 6 experience it online, aka cyberbullying.

Children who experience bullying may need special care. Kids may not feel comfortable telling an adult about the harmful words directed at them. They may want to simply ignore the bully and walk away. But this doesn’t always work.

If you suspect your child is being bullied, try to talk with them in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way.

But children aren’t the only ones who can experience bullying. A 2021 report notes that nearly one-third of adults (30%) in the United States experience bullying in the workplace.

If you’re experiencing bullying at work, consider talking with a manager, co-worker, or your human resources department for help.

You can take steps to manage harmful words, particularly when they’re said by someone close to you, such as a spouse or partner. Try giving the person space if they’re angry.

You can support them by helping them identify their triggers and encouraging them to discover ways to channel that anger. Try to prioritize your own self-care and safety by setting boundaries with the person.

If the hurtful words become abusive, it may be time to consider leaving the situation.

Words matter. Research has found that the choice of words can cause specific areas of the brain to activate and can affect a person’s subjective experience of pain.

People use word associations to perceive neutral events as positive or negative. Words can hurt, but they may also heal.

Encouragement can improve performance on exercise tests and may improve health outcomes. If you’re experiencing harmful, negative words, remember that it’s not your fault.

You’re not alone. Help is available. You can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 911 if you need immediate help.

Can Words Change the Brain? I Psych Central

Your brain responds to words in ways that affect your experience of the world. Taking care to use words that don’t cause harm to others can help protect them from trauma.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. ” But is that true?

There has been a lot of research into the power of words. And the answer to that is no.

A person’s choice of language can affect not only how another person feels but how they perceive events around them.

Word use may even influence the experience of physical pain. What people know about certain words, including when they’re commonly used, also changes how people think about other words.

Positive verbal affirmations — or “good words”— can lift people up. Encouragement can improve physical performance.

Words can also cause harm. Childhood bullying, verbal abuse in domestic relationships, and even word choice by medical professionals can lead to emotional challenges.

When you’re faced with hurtful words, you can take steps to keep yourself safe. That can involve setting boundaries or seeking help and support from a mental health professional.

Brain imaging studies support the theory that words affect how people experience pain.

In the study, the pain-related words created a stronger response in many areas of the brain, including the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

There’s also evidence to show that words affect perceptions of circumstances.

Words can be so powerful, in fact, that they may affect how well someone heals from an injury.

Many people may feel like words affect them on an emotional level. Someone expressing kindness may make them feel good, while negativity may bring them down.

There’s scientific evidence to back up these experiences. Specifically, researchers discovered positive words can help people perform better on exercise tests.

The words didn’t improve performance for the control group of people without ankle instability.

Words can make you feel better, but they can also cause hurt.

There’s also evidence that psychological violence, not limited to verbal abuse, may cause negative mental health outcomes.

A 2022 review found that psychological violence was linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety in those who experienced it from intimate partners.

The strongest overall association was between psychological violence and PTSD. Emotional and verbal violence had the strongest association with depression.

It’s not easy to hear harmful words, but there are steps you can take to heal.

Words can be a form of verbal abuse in some cases. If you’re experiencing emotional or verbal abuse from a partner and are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you suspect your child is being bullied, try to talk with them in a compassionate and nonjudgmental way.

But children aren’t the only ones who can experience bullying. A 2021 report notes that nearly one-third of adults (30%) in the United States experience bullying in the workplace.

If you’re experiencing bullying at work, consider talking with a manager, co-worker, or your human resources department for help.

You can take steps to manage harmful words, particularly when they’re said by someone close to you, such as a spouse or partner. Try giving the person space if they’re angry.

If the hurtful words become abusive, it may be time to consider leaving the situation.

Words matter. Research has found that the choice of words can cause specific areas of the brain to activate and can affect a person’s subjective experience of pain.

People use word associations to perceive neutral events as positive or negative. Words can hurt, but they may also heal.

Encouragement can improve performance on exercise tests and may improve health outcomes. If you’re experiencing harmful, negative words, remember that it’s not your fault.

You’re not alone. Help is available. You can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 911 if you need immediate help.

"The power of words is not a metaphor": how the words and actions of other people affect our brain - Monoclair

Headings: Favorites, Neuroscience, Translations, Latest articles, Psychology

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Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.

D., Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University in Boston, shares an excerpt from 7 1/2 Lessons About the Brain in which our words and actions affect the functioning of the brain and the physiological state of loved ones (and vice versa), how destructive an aggressive environment is for the brain, why it is more difficult for us to empathize with strangers and process information with which we disagree, and why we really lose part of ourselves after a breakup of a relationship or loss of a loved one. nine0009

We humans are a social species: we live in groups, we care for each other, we build civilizations.

Our ability to cooperate has been a major adaptive advantage that has enabled us to colonize virtually the entire natural environment and adapt to living in a variety of climates better than other living things, with the possible exception of bacteria.

An integral part of our existence as a social species is that we influence allostasis ⓘAllostasis is the endogenous process of achieving stability in the body's internal environment, or homeostasis, through physiological or behavioral changes (Copstead & Banasik 2013). each other, that is, the ways in which the brain manages the bodily resources used daily. Throughout your life, you, without hesitation, influence the allostasis of other people, just as they influence yours. This has its pros and cons, as well as serious consequences. nine0003

Your family, friends, and even strangers contribute to the structure and function of your brain and help keep your body functioning.

How can people around you influence your physiological state and already formed brain? We know that the brain changes its structures after a new experience, this process is called plasticity. Microscopic zones of neurons gradually change every day. Dendrites become more branched, and neural connections become more efficient. Gradually, the brain is tuned in a certain way in the course of interaction with other people. nine0003

The brain of one person is more attentive to others, the brain of another is less attentive, but everyone has someone. Ultimately, your family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers all contribute to the structure and function of our brains and help keep our bodies active.

This co-regulation has measurable effects. When you're around someone you care about, your breathing can sync up, as can your heartbeats, whether it's a casual conversation or a heated argument. Such physical bonding occurs between infants and parents, clients and therapists, even people who attend yoga classes or sing in a choir together. nine0003

By raising your voice or simply by raising an eyebrow, you can influence what goes on inside the other person.

We are also able to change the allostasis of another person by our actions. By raising your voice or simply by raising an eyebrow, you can influence what happens in other people's bodies, such as heart rate or chemicals that enter the bloodstream. If a loved one is in pain, you can ease their suffering by simply holding their hand. nine0003

Our social nature gives us many advantages, including the fact that we live longer if we have close and supportive relationships. Research shows that if you and your partner feel like you're in a really close, caring relationship, that you're responsive to each other's needs, and that you enjoy life when you're together, you're less likely to get sick.

And if you already have a serious illness, such as cancer or heart disease, you are more likely to recover. These studies were done on married couples, but the results seem to hold true for other types of close relationships as well, such as friendships or pet owners. nine0003

In general, there are both advantages and disadvantages to being a social species. We also get sick and die earlier when we constantly feel lonely—perhaps years earlier, according to scientific evidence. If others do not help regulate our internal energy exchange, we get an additional load.

Have you ever felt like you lost a part of yourself after a breakup or death of a loved one? This is because it really happened: you have lost the source of maintaining the balance of your body systems. nine0003

A surprising feature of allostasis is its effect on empathy. When you empathize with other people, your brain predicts what they will think, feel, and do. The more you know other people, the better your brain is at predicting their problems. The whole process feels natural, as if you were reading the other person's mind.

But there is one catch: if you don't know someone well, it will be more difficult for you to empathize with them. You may need to learn more about this person - this requires additional efforts, which will lead to changes in the internal balance, which can cause discomfort. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why people sometimes fail and don't even want to try to empathize with those who look different or believe in other things. It is metabolically expensive for our brain to interact with difficult-to-predict matters. nine0003

Unpleasant words can cause your brain to flood your bloodstream with hormones, wasting your body's resources.

No wonder people create so-called echo chambers by surrounding themselves with news and opinions that reinforce what they already believe—it reduces the metabolic cost and discomfort of learning something new. Unfortunately, it also reduces the chances of learning something that can change a person's mind.

We also regulate each other with words - a kind word can calm you, for example, when a friend compliments you at the end of a hard day. Unpleasant words can cause your brain to flood your bloodstream with hormones, wasting your body's resources. nine0003

The power of words over our biology can overcome great distances. I can write "I love you" from the US to my friend in Belgium, and even if she can't hear my voice or see my face, I'll change her heart rate, her breathing, and her metabolism.

Or someone might text you something ambiguous, like "Is your door locked?" There is a possibility that this may cause a negative response.

Moreover, your nervous system can be excited not only in spite of distance, but also through time. If you have ever been comforted by ancient texts such as the Bible or the Quran, you have received help in maintaining your body systems from people long gone. nine0003

Books, videos, and podcasts can make you feel warm or chilly. These effects may not last long, but research shows that we can all tune each other's nervous systems with simple words on a physical level.

Why do the words we encounter have such a powerful effect on us? Because the many areas of the brain that process language also control our bodies, including the major organs and systems that control allostasis.

The power of words is not a metaphor; this is inherent in the features of the work of the brain network. nine0003

Areas of the brain that scientists call the "language network" also control our heart rate. They regulate the flow of glucose into the bloodstream, which is necessary for cell nutrition. Change the flow of chemicals that support the immune system.

The power of words is not a metaphor; this is inherent in the features of the work of the brain network. We see similar effects in other animals; for example, the neurons fired in a bird when it sings also control the organs of its body.

Thus, words are instruments for regulating the human body. Other people's words have a direct effect on your brain and body systems, and your words have the same effect on other people. Whether you take this effect into account is irrelevant. It's just the way we are. nine0003

Does this mean that words can harm your health? In small doses - hardly. When someone says something you don't like, insults you, or even threatens your physical safety, you can feel terrible.

At this point, your allostasis is affected, but there is no physical damage to the brain or body. Your heart may beat faster, your blood pressure may fluctuate, you may sweat, but then your body recovers, and your brain may even become more stress-resistant afterward. nine0003

Evolution has given us a nervous system that can handle and even benefit from temporary metabolic changes. Occasional stress can be like exercise - short-term withdrawals from your body's energy budget, followed by deposits, make us stronger and better.

But if we experience stress again and again, with no way to recover, the consequences can be much more serious. When we swim in a boiling sea of stress and an ever-increasing deficit accumulates in our energy exchange system, this process becomes chronic. And its consequences go far beyond the fact that a person simply feels miserable at the moment. nine0003

Over time, anything that contributes to chronic stress can gradually damage the brain and cause physical illness. Stressors include verbal aggression, social rejection, neglect, and countless other creative ways that we social animals torture each other.

It is important to understand that the human brain probably does not distinguish between sources of chronic stress. If the body's resource is already depleted due to life circumstances - such as physical illness, financial difficulties, hormonal surges, lack of sleep or exercise - the brain becomes more vulnerable to all kinds of stress. This includes the biological effects of words that are meant to intimidate, intimidate, or torture you or people you care about. nine0003

When the body is constantly overloaded, short-term stresses accumulate, even those after which a person usually returns to normal. Imagine children jumping on a bed: a bed can withstand 10 children jumping, but the 11th will break its frame.

Simply put, prolonged periods of chronic stress can damage the human brain. Research shows that when you are constantly exposed to verbal aggression, you are more likely to get sick. Scientists don't yet understand all the mechanisms behind this, but we do know that it does happen. nine0003

The studies of verbal aggression involved average people across the political spectrum - left, right and center. If people insult you, their words will not affect your brain the first time or the second time, maybe even the twentieth.

But if you are subjected to verbal abuse continuously for months at a time, or live in an environment that requires all your systems to be strained and resources wasted, words can indeed physically injure your brain. Not because you are weak or pampered, but because you are human. nine0003

Your nervous system is connected to other people's behavior, good or bad. You can argue what this data means and whether it matters, but it is what it is.

We are free to speak and act, but we are not free from the consequences of what we say and do.

This is the fundamental dilemma of the human condition: the best for your nervous system is the other person, and the worst for your nervous system is also the other person. Scientists are often asked to do research that would be useful in everyday life, and these findings about words, chronic stress, and illness are a perfect example of that benefit. When people treat each other with basic respect, it has a real biological benefit. nine0003

A realistic approach to our dilemma is to realize that freedom always comes with responsibility. We are free to speak and act, but we are not free from the consequences of what we say and do. We may not care about these consequences, or we may not agree that these consequences are justified, but they come with costs that we all pay.

We pay for enhanced care for diseases such as diabetes, cancer, depression, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease that are exacerbated by chronic stress. We are paying for an inefficient government in which politicians spit poison on each other instead of having reasoned debates. nine0003

Given that our society makes decisions about health care, legislation, public policy, and education, we may ignore or take our socially dependent nervous system seriously. Our biology will not just disappear.

About the author

Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, is in the top 1% of most cited scientists in the world for her research in psychology and neuroscience. Her concept of how emotions work is best known. She is a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University in Boston, and works at Massachusetts General Hospital and at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Neuroscience in 2019year, is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada.

Cover: Francis Picabia, 1937-1938 / Gandalf's Gallery / Flickr

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Swearing allows you to express emotions

Swearing is often associated with strong emotions. This distinguishes them from other types of vocabulary and makes them more expressive. This can also be seen in the autonomic reactions of people using the mat in speech: increased sweating and rapid heartbeat. These changes indicate that swearing may be one of the manifestations of the fight-or-flight response. Moreover, for people who know more than one language, the release of emotions is almost always stronger if they swear in their native language. nine0003

Cursing is something instinctive

Neuroscience studies show that non-verbal parts of the brain may be responsible for swearing. Particularly the limbic system. She is responsible for emotions, reactions and memory and works at the level of instincts that are difficult to suppress. Perhaps because of this, people who have received brain damage and have difficulty speaking often do not lose the ability to swear.

How swearing affects thinking

Laboratory experiments have revealed different cognitive effects of swearing. For example, swear words attract more attention and are remembered better than others. However, they can inhibit the cognitive processing of other words, so they can sometimes interfere with the thought process. nine0003

How mat affects physical condition

In a series of experiments, researchers divided volunteers into two groups and asked them to place their hands in a bucket of ice. At the same time, one group was allowed to swear, and the second was allowed to utter only neutral words. Students in the swearing group were able to resist pain and cold longer than those who used neutral language. According to scientists, this happened because due to the use of the mat, the heartbeat and pulse quickened. This activates the fight-or-flight response, which acts as a pain reliever. nine0003

How swearing affects relationships

Researchers in New Zealand have studied how often workers in a soap factory use the word fuck. It turned out that they often cursed with colleagues from their department, but drastically reduced the use of this word when working with people from other departments.

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