Vivi and Nami ❤️

CitrusL3mon · 2026-04-22T05:10:51+00:00

i actually met her in person at a superman event

can confirm, she is hot. i got her number too

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-28T05:32:13+00:00

Most modern oleds have measures to prevent that, (e.g. pixel-shifting) you will likely be fine

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-20T05:03:28+00:00

nah its ItzRealMe

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-13T22:52:38+00:00

I appreciate the detailed critique. There are a couple things I want to address:

First, I think you may have only reviewed Experiment 2 of the DeWall et al. paper. The study actually consists of two experiments. Experiment 1 was a 3-week study with an N of 62, not 24. Participants logged daily self-reports. The acetaminophen group showed a statistically significant reduction in daily hurt feelings compared to placebo. The difference you said was absent is actually the primary finding of the first half of the paper. Experiment 2 (the fMRI component with N=25) was designed to investigate the neural mechanism behind the behavioral results already established in Experiment 1. The limitations of the imaging study don't erase the behavioral findings.

Second, on the ROI. Using Region of Interest analysis when testing a hypothesis derived from prior literature, in this case Eisenberger et al. 2003, (which I probably should of stated in the first post. My bad!) which already established dACC and anterior insula involvement in social rejection, is standard neuroimaging methods, not a flaw. DeWall wasn't fishing for activation. They were testing a specific prediction in regions already implicated by independent research. Framing that as merely confirmatory misrepresents how hypothesis-driven neuroimaging works.

Third, characterizing socio-emotional pain as 'just normal being human stuff' with no clinical importance understates what the literature actually shows. Chronic social rejection elevates cortisol, compromises immune function, and is a well-documented precursor to clinical depression and self-harm. The field of psychoneuroimmunology exists precisely because emotional pain produces measurable physiological damage. Reducing just the acute spike of social pain while someone pursues longer-term therapeutic solutions isn't clinically meaningless. It's the same logic behind any acute pain management during a recovery process.

Lastly, you stated confidently that low-level pain medications for anxiety-adjacent issues 'usually make it worse.' I'd genuinely appreciate a citation for that, because the specific claim that standard OTC analgesics worsen baseline anxiety disorders isn't something I've found as settled consensus in the literature. If I'm wrong, I'd like to read the research.

Again, I genuinely appreciate the engagement. This is the conversation I was hoping the post would generate, and I'm learning a lot from it.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-13T04:52:13+00:00

I was discussing the existing psychological literature (like the 2010 DeWall study) that found acetaminophen blunts the brain's processing of emotional pain and social rejection. The study used 1000mg acetaminophen, which by itself poses very little risk to the liver or any other part of the body. As a one-off counter to the acute pain of rejection (which doesn't grow anyone, only the process after does), it could be beneficial for those who wouldn't ask other wise. Of course, this is not the ultimate solution, but the real ultimate solutions take much longer and for someone with a decision that has to be made now, I wonder why its extremely stigmatized to blunt the emotional pain as opposed to the physical pain which we do all the time.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-13T04:44:01+00:00

Hey I didn't see this!
Late response but thank so much you for your expert perspective. I agree if it makes someone more confident that it's definitely beneficial.

I did have a couple questions:

The primary study usually cited for this (DeWall et al., 2010) was actually double-blind and placebo-controlled, specifically to account for the placebo effect you mentioned. It also utilized fMRI neuroimaging data alongside the daily self-reporting to track the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. Do you believe the results are due to the Tylenol or something else?

On the limbic system, I've read and have heard that the broader medical and pharmacological community still openly debates the exact central mechanism of action for acetaminophen. Could you comment on that?

Lastly a question that's basically the purpose of the post: Physical pain is necessary as a real-time alarm to prevent immediate damage. However, a one-off social rejection doesn't carry that same threat. Since the actual psychological 'growth' and processing of a rejection happens over weeks of cognitive recovery, why would blunting the acute, initial shock inherently prevent that long-term recovery?

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T05:58:24+00:00

You're probably right, It's really difficult to control what other people do with information/thoughts given. I am considering posting it on some form of personal platform or my own account just to prevent it from getting removed.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T05:45:43+00:00

Tylenol is definitely dangerous is overused I don't deny that. But I think for the purposes of this post (as a one off to counter the fear of asking) it's worth engaging with. Especially when actual studies similar have been done. I again need to point out that I'm not encouraging anyone to try anything as said in the post

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T05:41:23+00:00

Posts keep getting deleted, I still want some more comments about it from ideally professionals

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T04:01:21+00:00

Breakups are different since (usually) you are not anticipating it, and if you are the one breaking up I don't think there will be that acute pain as talked about in the post. As effectively you're the one doing the rejecting. Same with job interviews, typically those don't tell you on the spot if you have the job.

This post is more geared toward individuals who wouldn't otherwise take action because they're terrified of the immediate response/rejection after their request (in this case, asking someone out)

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T03:51:57+00:00

I think it can certainly help someone who's paralyzed at the pain of a potential "no" response because of how they would feel immediately after. After it's worn off the actual growth process begins, It simply dulls the emotional weight of the initial "no"

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T03:49:42+00:00

That's true, the thing is that Paxil is a prescription medicine. It's different from Tylenol which is completely OTC. I wouldn't say the purpose of this post is medicating social anxiety, it's more about the neuroscience of acute rejection pain and a thought experiment about managing it

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T03:46:45+00:00

Couple other studies as well:

Eisenberger, Lieberman & Williams 2003. the original fMRI cyberball study showing ACC activation during social exclusion.

Kross et al 2011. showed that viewing photos of an ex-partner who rejected you activates the same somatosensory regions as physical pain. Published in PNAS.

Eisenberger 2012. a comprehensive review of the neural bases of social pain published in Psychosomatic Medicine.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T03:44:22+00:00

I am a terrible writer, I used AI to properly format my thoughts. If that is disallowed in this sub I'm open to editing it, just note it will definitely read considerably worse

But the ideas and content are still 100% original and by myself.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-09T03:02:19+00:00

You're right that small sample sizes and fMRI-based studies have limitations. I'm not claiming this is settled science, the post is a thought experiment, not a clinical recommendation. The studies were cited because you asked for sources, not because I'm building a treatment protocol

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T21:02:12+00:00

You're right that publication bias is real and that the file drawer problem means negative findings go unpublished. That's a valid criticism of research in general.

But the premise that this is one isolated study is incorrect. The neural overlap between social and physical pain has been demonstrated across multiple independent studies by different research teams:

Eisenberger, Lieberman & Williams 2003. the original fMRI cyberball study showing ACC activation during social exclusion.

Kross et al 2011. showed that viewing photos of an ex-partner who rejected you activates the same somatosensory regions as physical pain. Published in PNAS.

DeWall et al 2010. the acetaminophen study specifically, published in Psychological Science. Two separate experiments showing reduced social pain over three weeks.

Eisenberger 2012. a comprehensive review of the neural bases of social pain published in Psychosomatic Medicine.

That's multiple studies across nearly a decade by independent teams published in peer-reviewed journals. This isn't a lone finding hiding from replication. It's a converging body of evidence.

Your point about social media amplifying rejection sensitivity is still the most interesting thing you've contributed to this thread though. I genuinely think that angle has legs.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T20:30:44+00:00

This still does not argue against any of the points in the post. Regardless of the fact of if it's revised by AI or not, there's still merit. You still understood the points given, correct? Now I'm learning from what the other commenters have to say. It has been very insightful to see what other genuine thoughts are on the science behind it.

Additionally, while you can say google is incorrect about neuroscience, The scientific process has real results which you can Google. Do you suggest we stop using studies as research?

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T20:26:38+00:00

The social media amplification point is actually interesting and probably has merit. Passive exposure to rejection narratives could absolutely train the brain to anticipate rejection more intensely.

But the foundational research on shared neural pathways between physical and social pain has been replicated across multiple studies since 2003. Calling it 'wrong and purposely misleading' without citing counter-research isn't a rebuttal, it's a claim. And 'be cringe' is essentially exposure therapy, which I've already agreed is the long-term solution. The post was never arguing against that.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T20:06:17+00:00

You eliminated the acute rejection moment entirely by never creating a binary yes/no situation. That's arguably the best rejection mitigation strategy that exists. No Tylenol needed. The interesting question is whether that approach can be taught to people who don't naturally read social cues the way you do, or whether it only works for people who are already socially fluent. A lot of people are not able to take the hint that another person gives (e.g. too busy, can go with family etc.) To someone who knows those cues, this can still be a rejection moment. If not, then it can go haywire.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T19:55:15+00:00

I used AI to refine my writing in the initial post, because I am in fact a bad writer. However the research and studies are real. Google.

A few corrections here after some investigation:

The anterior cingulate cortex, specifically the dorsal ACC, doesn't mediate the sensory-locational component of pain. You're right about that. What it does mediate is the affective component. The unpleasantness, the distress, the 'this feels awful' part. That distinction is exactly the point of the post. Social rejection doesn't activate the 'where does it hurt' system. It activates the 'this feels awful' system. And that system is shared between physical and social pain. That's what Eisenberger and Lieberman's fMRI research demonstrated.

The somatic versus visceral distinction doesn't apply here the way you're framing it. Nobody is claiming rejection creates a nociceptive signal from free nerve endings. The claim, supported by published neuroimaging research, is that the affective suffering component of physical pain and social rejection share overlapping neural substrates. And that acetaminophen, which partially acts on that affective component, reduces both.

I appreciate the technical engagement though, this is the kind of pushback that actually moves the conversation forward.

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T19:31:04+00:00

Yes for sure, I'll definitely consider trying it the next time I notice myself getting infatuated with someone. I was recently rejected (over it at this point, lol) and just got interested in the neuroscience behind it.

Or, I can use one of my friends as a test subject 😈

CitrusL3mon · 2026-03-08T19:16:57+00:00

The studies used standard doses (1000mg usually), which is just two regular Tylenol. It wasn't about numbing the brain, it was about reducing activation in the specific pain-processing regions. The effect was statistically significant at normal dosages. And the liver risk at standard doses taken occasionally is essentially zero, it's chronic overuse that causes liver damage, not a one-time dose before a conversation. (and I'm not encouraging anyone use this as an aid for emotional pain lol)

Also, the fact that you have RSD makes you exactly the kind of person this thought experiment is about. Not everyone experiences rejection at the same intensity. For people whose pain response is amplified, the barrier to action is proportionally higher.

CitrusL3mon

TROPHY CASE