Phillies euphoria offering "health escape" for Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Phillies fever is spreading happiness across the region. It's something we can all agree on, it doesn't matter about your political party, how much money you have, or where you live, for now, these precious next couple of weeks we're all part of Phillies nation.
Phillies euphoria is sweeping the Delaware Valley.
"I'm so happy," one Phillies fan said.
Phillies fans are ecstatic and the joy is spreading. CBS3 spoke with a therapist at Council for Relationships.
"Part of it is we resonate off of other people's energy, right? You can tell when someone is being really negative and down. Sometimes that can impact you. But when you're around other people who are being positive or affirming you, or happy, that energy becomes something that we feed off of," Dr. George James said.
James said he believes happiness is contagious and the excitement surrounding the Phils is far-reaching.
"It's not just about baseball. It's about it's about joy. It's about winning. It's about people being in good spirits," James said.
There's even some research that shows winning increases testosterone, which boosts dopamine, a feel-good chemical in the brain.
The Phillies' NLCS win couldn't come at a better time, with all the political discord, gun violence and economic woes, it's nice to have a break from all the serious issues.
"Sometimes we need healthy escapes. Right things that can allow us to just take a pause or timeout from some of the things," James said.
Like Rocky, fighting obstacles, the Phillies have delivered a big dose of love, not just to their fans, but to a community, that's seen its share of hard times.
"It's something that people will talk about for years and generations to come. And it becomes a family story. And that is also what makes people feel good and happy and for a moment, move away from some of the difficulties they're facing," James said.
Philadelphia sports fans are intense and sometimes we get a bad rap, but for now, it's about embracing the team and sharing the excitement of the World Series.
