Do you have a high pain threshold?

[The-Hoff]

I once gave blood a few years ago and it was so damn painful at the time and I remember looking around and seeing other people doing the same thing but taking it easy without a care in the world. Anyway, I never did it again, and not because I didn't want to. It was just too painful.

Years later I went for my first Tattoo with my sister who is 16 years younger than me. The tattoos was some writing and in the same as each other on the inside of our left forearms. My sister went first and was chilled and relaxed through the whole process and said it just "nipped" a little.
Then it was my turn, and it was absolute agony, I could barely keep my arm still. He kept having to stop till I remained still. The pain was excruciating. Even the Tattooist said he had not seen many people with this kind of reaction to a tattoo.

So despite being called a wimp and my family taking the **** out of me for days later. There has to be a reason why my pain threshold is so shockingly bad. I actually think it may just be skin related with me, as I have had many knocks and bumps in my life but nothing comes close to the pain I feel with needles.

 

[Hitman_Leon]

Probably the fear of it makes you anxious, stress and fear combined make you think it hurts more.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Yeah, injuries don't seem to bother me. Never cried as a kid when I broke multiple bones, etc. One time I was climbing over a fence, slipped and a 4 inch nail that was sticking out went into my arm pit and ripped it as I fell. Neither that nor the stitches made me cry and I must have been about 10 then.

I'd say it's been a bad thing for me really because it means I'm always one of the first to volunteer to do stupid things. High pain threshold and hardly any fear = many hospital visits.

 

[adolf hamster]

It can vary, i watched a very good documentary about this subject and one of the things it noted was how if your expecting pain it can make it less.

They had one example of a fellow who tragically got his arm stuck in his garage, and with nobody around to rescue him he had to cut it off, he said it didnt hurt at all.

It can be different though, i guess exposure levels is the main thing, i notice the longer ive been airsofting the less getting hit stings, maybe because im now used to it and ive trained my body into knowing its nothing serious and not worth bothering about

 

[scrivz69]

I admit that my first tattoo was awful and hurt like hell, it was 36 years ago lol so maybe things have changed.

 

[peterwalkley]

I'd rather not find out ....

Having seen the wife suffering gallstones I'd either be crying like a baby or swearing the roof off, or both.

 

[NoobCannon]

Do you also use talc after your shower?

It may or may not increase or decrease your pain threshold

 

[AHarvey]

Pain is in your head.

I've had wisdom teeth actually break in half diagonally so they looked like this /| and the dentist said I should have been screaming in pain. Barely bothered me.

Broke 2 bones in my right hand, drove myself to hospital.

I have an autoimmune disease that attacks every joint in my body, and when it flares up it can put me in bed with the pain, but most times I push the pain down and just get on as best I can.

The only pain I can't handle is headaches, because I can't focus on pushing the pain down and away. I know that sounds odd.

However, I can't handle hot things. Hot plates, mugs, water too hot etc. Cold I am fine with but I have a very low tolerance for heat.

 

[m@rty]

Anything but dental pain and i'm good

 

[Woden]

Stubbed my toe once. Only cried for an hour

 

[Hades]

I didn't used to have a high pain threshold at all. In fact I still don't. I feel pain very easily. But in recent years I've had so many injections, blood tests, broken bones, operations, biopsies, moles cut off, kidney stones, etc, that I've kind of "got used to it". It still hurts but I just get on with life however much stuff hurts now.

 

[Devrij]

Pain is a perception thing. It doesn't hurt less, but the more you feel of it, the more you get used to it. A bit like being tired when you have a baby. At first it destroys you, but you sort of get used to being shattered so you can still function.

 

[NooBish AbbZ]

Giving blood i have no problem with.

Pain threshold, I don't know, i don't think it's particularly high nor low to be honest.

I seem to have a high threshold for thermal though, holding hot plates for example.

 

[~>Dg<~]

i once watched a whole episode of deal or no deal. does that count

 

[Caged]

I post on the Internet, so probably

 

[Hitman_Leon]

Pain is a perception thing. It doesn't hurt less, but the more you feel of it, the more you get used to it. A bit like being tired when you have a baby. At first it destroys you, but you sort of get used to being shattered so you can still function.

Absolutely.

 

[Sliver]

I've had a broken arm a broken ankle a broken nose and broken knuckles.

Don't worry about this heart of mine, there's nothing you can do and say, you're going to break my heart anyway, just leave the pieces when you go.

 

[Angilion]

Pain is a perception thing. It doesn't hurt less, but the more you feel of it, the more you get used to it. A bit like being tired when you have a baby. At first it destroys you, but you sort of get used to being shattered so you can still function.

I've found that applies much more strongly if it's the same pain. I got to the stage where I was having trouble managing stairs, but the pain in my knee wasn't really bothering me any more. Other pain which should have been less severe could register as more severe because I wasn't used to it. I think it's akin to living near a busy road - you can tune out the traffic noise to a large extent after a while, but some music from a neighbour might be more annoying even if it's actually less noisy.

I've also found that the position matters. I have idiopathic testicular pain and that still registers as serious even after 20 years of it. It'll still stop me in my tracks. Presumably an instinctive thing.

In any case, I don't think there is a single pain threshold. The same thing can hurt to different extents for different people. An example: some while back, out of curiosity, I tried various hair removal methods on my legs. My then girlfriend used an epilator because she found that slightly painful and waxing very painful. I found waxing slightly painful and an epilator very painful. Perhaps the OP is just particularly sensitive to the particular sensation of being punctured with a needle.

 

[Pixel]

Pain is related to your hormones, which is directly affected by your blood sugar levels.

Have something to eat before you go to get a tattoo or have blood drawn, you'll notice less pain.

 

[tom_e]

Pain doesn't bother me a great deal, I can fully dislocate my shoulder and not even really notice apart from the fact I can no longer move my arm, had a few bike crashes and just stood up and brushed it off on the other hand any sort of stinging pain like being slapped really bothers me.