3 ms·

Chronic pain is an entirely different beast from acute pain.

ethanbond 10y ago
Totally agreed. I woke up once with severe arthralgia throughout my entire body, went to the ER and was asked to rate my pain level. Despite being the worst pain I've ever felt (woke up in tears due to the weight of the blanket on my toes), I answered a 7/10. Acute pain – not really a big deal. Unfortunately, whatever caused the arthralgia was (and still is) a complete mystery, and by day 5 of having top pediatricians explaining "nothing is out of the ordinary" I pragmatically, unemotionally contemplated suicide for the first time in my life. Somehow the ailment completely disappeared over the following weeks and hasn't returned, but it's quite something to feel that pain will truly and honestly never stop. It's not even that your brain goes into panic mode. It's a different mode of existence altogether – I can't even imagine people suffering through years of pain even 1/100th of the intensity of what I had.
- spdustin 10y ago
  I watched my father live with the pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis [0] for decades before he died. I myself live with the pain of psoriatic arthritis[1], and occasional uveitis [2], both related conditions I knew I was genetically predisposed to (HLA-B27 [3]). It isn't easy. The pharmacological therapies I know would be most effective are too expensive. And so I have to choose how to avoid suffering from my pain, every day. I choose work, music, my family, antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication, and participating in communities (like this one) where I may find peers. [0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriatic_arthritis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriatic_arthritis [2]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_uveitis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_uveitis [3]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLA-B27 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLA-B27
- guard-of-terra 10y ago
  I think we humans for some reason have ridiculously wide pain gauge. I can only theorize that we've got super pain sensitivity along with super brain. Humans are very often disabled by pain alone, with neligible body damage. That's clearly evolutionary disadvantageous. Makes torture possible, etc. Relevant xkcd: http://xkcd.com/883/ http://xkcd.com/883/
  - Practicality 10y ago
    It's so you can taste ridiculously hot peppers ;)
    - guard-of-terra 10y ago
      For some reason I easily tolerate very spicy food but I have huge fear of pain.

Totally agreed. I woke up once with severe arthralgia throughout my entire body, went to the ER and was asked to rate my pain level. Despite being the worst pain I've ever felt (woke up in tears due to the weight of the blanket on my toes), I answered a 7/10. Acute pain – not really a big deal. Unfortunately, whatever caused the arthralgia was (and still is) a complete mystery, and by day 5 of having top pediatricians explaining "nothing is out of the ordinary" I pragmatically, unemotionally contemplated suicide for the first time in my life. Somehow the ailment completely disappeared over the following weeks and hasn't returned, but it's quite something to feel that pain will truly and honestly never stop. It's not even that your brain goes into panic mode. It's a different mode of existence altogether – I can't even imagine people suffering through years of pain even 1/100th of the intensity of what I had.

spdustin 10y ago
I watched my father live with the pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis [0] for decades before he died. I myself live with the pain of psoriatic arthritis[1], and occasional uveitis [2], both related conditions I knew I was genetically predisposed to (HLA-B27 [3]). It isn't easy. The pharmacological therapies I know would be most effective are too expensive. And so I have to choose how to avoid suffering from my pain, every day. I choose work, music, my family, antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication, and participating in communities (like this one) where I may find peers. [0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankylosing_spondylitis [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriatic_arthritis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriatic_arthritis [2]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_uveitis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_uveitis [3]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLA-B27 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLA-B27
guard-of-terra 10y ago
I think we humans for some reason have ridiculously wide pain gauge. I can only theorize that we've got super pain sensitivity along with super brain. Humans are very often disabled by pain alone, with neligible body damage. That's clearly evolutionary disadvantageous. Makes torture possible, etc. Relevant xkcd: http://xkcd.com/883/ http://xkcd.com/883/
- Practicality 10y ago
  It's so you can taste ridiculously hot peppers ;)
  - guard-of-terra 10y ago
    For some reason I easily tolerate very spicy food but I have huge fear of pain.