Do you cry when you're in pain?

[Escarpahell]

I've got a bad back and sciatica at the moment - very, very painful. I went for a massage last week and at one point it was hurting so much (even though she was being very gentle) that I cried. The masseuse asked if I was having emotional problems and seemed surprised when I said, no - it just fucking hurts! So, do you cry when you are in physical pain or I am I just a baby??

Sometimes-more likely if it’s a sudden sharp pain ( bang on the nose, badly stub toe) that’ll bring the tears up no bother . Migraine that I fortunately don’t suffer from so much since the menopause used to have tears running while I was lying in a dark room wishing for death

Only if it's gone on for a while and I can't sleep. So probably more exhaustion than pain. Usually I just go quiet and want to be left alone

Only if it's a sudden unexpected pain like stubbed toe or trapping fingers in the door.

Migraine, yes, and sometimes it seems to ease the pain.

Crying has a lot of functions, OP. You're not a baby.

I cry all the time for any reason.

No, I don't - but I don't think it's any sign of weakness that you do, it's just a different physiological response.

I actually get very withdrawn and even sleepy when in intense pain - I didn't know this before the first time I gave birth but since then I've realised it's a consistent pattern.

No,I just get annoyed with myself for being in pain.

No, I barely cry at anything though tbh.

No I don’t I get furious when in pain. So I guess it’s a similar emotional thing, just on the other end of the spectrum.

I was very grouchy when in labour, my midwives left me alone for a lot of it!

As a HCP I have seen that it is very rare for people to cry when they're in pain. So I can understand your masseuse not assuming straight away that you were crying because the pain was so bad. I think it was kind of her to give you the possibility to talk.

Deep fissure massages make me feel emotional. I have often shed a tear in a massage. I asked my therapist about it and she said it was a known thing.

Yes. I do. I've just posted on the greggs sausage roll thread about crying too. I don't cry very often, but when I do I really cry a lot, and find it very therapeutic.

I cried last year when one of my closest friends ghosted me saying I was transphobic about her ds coming out as trans. I'm still sad about it now.

Her response, from someone who knows that someone can be in physical pain, would've seriously pissed me off. Has she got some sort of empathy bypass?

@Oblomov22 - her response was lovely, she was holding my hand and soothing me but she did assume it was emotional pain rather than physical, which is why I asked the question.

Oops, NC fail!!

Physical pain: they say childbirth, toothache and passing a kidney stone.

I was heavily pregnant, kept getting shooting pains down whole of arm in the middle of the night. I would sobb quietly. Not dis-similar to carpal tunnel they said. Had steroid injection on inside of arm / wrist. Best pain relief EVER.

I fell down the stairs and hurt my coccyx. I cried.

@Eyesopenwideawake

Yes, I get that. But her automatic assumption that it's emotional, rather than unsurprisingly physical, given the situation/ her job, appears wierd/odd.

I'm not a crier but a screamer. When I'm in pain I can't help but just let it all out as loudly as possible! It's quite strange because I'm a really quiet introvert usually.

I cried towards the end of my first labour. It was just the sheer desperation for it to be over and fear about how much longer I had to endure it. The pain was horrendous but the ensuing emotions were even worse.

Have you ever experienced pain in the Sistine Chapel, perchance..?

No, i'm more of a FUCK THAT FUCKING HURTS FUUUUUUUUUUUCK kind of a person.

Same ^

I cried when my wisdom tooth was infected. It was so unbelievably painful I couldn’t even open my mouth. I think it was just the overwhelmingness of it all as well as the pain.

Did you not just correct her immediately?

I have arthritis (albeit mostly well controlled) but I've sometimes cried in pain. It's usually also out frustration, disappointment and fear too. Having a flare up of a chronic condition is utterly shit. Even worse when its hurts like Hell and you can't walk. 😫

Being in physical pain is emotionally painful. Yes, I cry if I hurt myself sometimes, and part of that is emotional. they go hand in hand. It's fear as well that you're not okay or might be seriously ill etc.

I have chronic pain, thanks to EDS and fibromyalgia so over the years my tolerance for pain has increased a lot.

I do cry when I dislocate a joint or stub my toe though! That shit really hurts.