When we think about the benefits of friendship, we typically think of the joy we feel during raucous moments of shared laughter or the comfort we receive from caring hugs of empathetic support. Most of us have never considered the impact of friendship on our tolerance for discomfort, but it turns out that our social health affects our ability to deal with physical pain. Researchers have found that the stronger our friendship circle, the greater our threshold for pain.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers surveyed 101 healthy adults, focusing on the number of each participant’s “intimate” friends (qualified by weekly interactions) and “close” friends (based on at least monthly interactions). Then the researchers recorded how long each participant could squat against a wall at a 90° angle—a position that will eventually become excruciatingly painful for anyone. The researchers found that the individuals with more friends could hold the agonizing posture longer.


The researchers surmised that this added bonus comes from a simple chemical reaction. People who have stronger social networks release more endorphins, and those endorphins not only give us pleasure, they also act as natural painkillers that increase our endurance threshold. This research is consistent with another study finding that cancer patients with stronger social support experience less pain during treatment than those with less support.
The “squat” study also had two other interesting findings. First, the most physically fit people tended to have smaller social networks. The researchers reasoned that perhaps these individuals were spending extra time in the gym rather than connecting with friends. Likewise, the more stressed individuals in the population were found to have less social support. This could be because whatever stressed them, like a demanding job for example, also kept them away from their friends. However, it is more likely that socially supported individuals are better able to handle their stress than those with less support.

Again: Scientific research reinforces the amazing power of friendship—this time touting it as stronger than morphine; a drug we all know packs a mighty wallop!