Putting feelings into words makes sadness and anger less intense, the U.S. brain researchers said on Wednesday, in a finding that explains why
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to a therapist often makes people feel better.
They said talking about negative feelings activates a part of the brain
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for impulse control "This region of the brain seems to be
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in putting on the brakes," said researcher Mathew Lieberman. He and colleagues
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the brains of 30 people—18 women and 12 men between 18 and 36—who were shown pictures of faces
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strong emotions. They were asked to
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the feelings in words like sad or angry, or to choose between two gender-specific names
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"Sally or Harry" that matched the face.
What they found is that when people
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a word like "angry" to an angry-looking face, the
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in the portion of the brain that handles fear, panic and other strong emotions decreased. "This seems to dampen down the response in these basic emotional
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in the brain." Lieberman said in a telephone interview.
What lights up instead is the part of the brain that controls impulses. "This is the only region of the entire brain that is more active when you choose an emotional word for the picture
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when you choose a name for the picture," he said.
He said the same region of the brain has been found in
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studies to play a role in motor control. "If you are driving along and you see a yellow light, you have to inhibit one response in order to step on the brake," he said. "This same region helps to inhibit emotional responses as well."
The researchers did not find significant differences along gender lines,
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Lieberman said prior studies had hinted at some
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in the benefits men and women derived from talking about their feelings. "Women may do more of this
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, but when men are instructed to do it, they may get more benefit from it," he said.