Poll Do You Have A Lower Tolerance For Pain Since Your Trauma?

[therapybankrupt]

I have high pain tolerance.

 

[kodiak]

I also have a high pain tolerance

 

[The Albatross]

Increased pain tolerance, very high here as well.

 

[Invisible-Guy]

No, I think my threshhold for physical pain has actually increased because I kinda of disassociate from the physical word in a way. I've done some pretty messed up thing to myself since I got sick. I cannot handle any emotional pain though. I tend to where my emotions on my sleeve now. I can't even discuss hot topics in the news because I get too emotional. Has anybody else kinda of detached from their physical being while depressed or angry? I know this sounds weird, but I guess I'm just deparately trying to get my mind back.

 

[Changing4Best]

Since my traumas happened during my early childhood, as well as during later adulthood, I don't remember back that far very well. As to pain tolerance in general, I think mine is higher than the norm, but again, I can't say for sure.

 

[Girl3]

I have lots of pain but don't do anything about it. In fact, even though in my one knee I have very little cartilage left, I still run and work out. My hands have terrific arthritis, but I still work every day. Yesterday I had a migraine and just kept working. A few years ago when I ripped my meniscus off and couldn't straighten my leg, the only reason I had surgery was that the orthopedist told me I could get a blood clot from not being able to straighten my leg.

 

['91 Girl]

I dissociate from physical pain so easily. I had to learn as a kid not to cry when punished, and so I learned by pretending the pain wasn't there. Even now, in relatively painful situations, I can stop myself from being distracted or consumed by pain. I don't notice migraine headaches until they are cripplingly bad. I can get tattoos without flinching (and I actually find them freakishly relaxing). And I can accidentally hurt myself and not realize how bad it is until it swells or doesn't heal in a normal amount of time.

 

[Jlso111187]

For me it seems like I have a higher tolerance. I think its because I look at my life and when I get injured as I have already been through hell and have made it thus far so pain is just not nearly as bad as what I deal with everyday due to my trauma. If this makes sense to any of you.

 

[Hatshepsut]

I'm not sure if it's a lower threshold for pain exactly but when I'm injured, in pain, or upset I've found I'm incapable of self-soothing and calming myself down. It just keeps spiraling and I get more and more upset until someone helps me calm down and comforts me by stroking my arm or something. I need tactile touch and to know someone is there and it's going to be okay.....not for little things but for extensive pain/medical scares anyway. I find I have no self-soothing skills at all and am terrified mostly the whole time. I was in the hospital with central vertigo, full body numbness, hand spasms, etc and I freaked out and couldn't calm down. The worst part was that I was so numb I couldn't feel any sensation of touch at all and my hands were like stones and curled up...I felt trapped in my body and it was like my abuse experience all over again...helpless and trapped inside my body like a prisoner with no source of comfort. I hope it never happens again..I'd rather just die. It was that awful!...but then you go to doctors and they are like you were just numb it's not like you were paralyzed! Being extremely numb is like being paralyzed but worse, because you can't feel touch but can feel heavy pressure like someone is sitting on top of your entire body, and can barely move,....sorry I'm just babbling on but I've had it up to here with doctors and being invalidated!

 

[Mit]

Years of surgery throughout my childhood has given me a high tolerance to pain. But I cannot bear the sight of blood, injuries, needles or medical treatment to any degree, it makes me feel ill and faint.

 

[Chava]

Can't really answer because I have very high pain tolerance in most cases, but not all. Slice open my hand doing work in the yard? Meh... Knee dislocated or pulled muscle? Barely notice. Maybe I yell "shit!" once and move along with my work. Pain I inflict on myself? I barely feel it, if at all.. Ever since very young I've had a higher pain tolerance than others. I tip far towards the numb and oblivious to my body end of the spectrum.

But where I have chronic pain, it is usually intolerable. I'm hyper sensitive to pain cues in those areas. I feel disconnected from those parts. The pain makes me feel powerless and like I don't have control. It's not predictable.