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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find these pains pleasurable? (Not sex-related!)

124 replies

TokyoStories · 01/04/2023 14:48

I assume I’m not the only person in the world to experience this but I never come across anyone talking about it.

Ever since I was a child and I experienced my first loose tooth I realised I enjoyed the pain of pushing it hard against my gum. I did it constantly until it bled. This triggered life-long problems with jaw clenching, teeth grinding and TMD. It’s like I’m addicted to it and I can’t wait to do it again even though I know it’s so bad and I end up with severe facial pain and spasms (which isn’t pleasurable).

So…

Grinding and clenching my jaw feels wonderful

Poking at my gums is bliss (I’ve avoided doing this since I was a teen as I know how very bad it is but I still think about it)

Pressing hard on bruises is heavenly

Leg cramps are amazing

The moments after extreme menstrual cramps (endometriosis) finish feel euphoric.

I have no interest in BDSM or any sort of sex-pain so I don’t think it’s ‘masochism’. It just genuinely feels so nice. I know IABU to my body, but who else feels like this? I can’t be the only one.

YABU = that’s madness
YANBU = I know what you mean

OP posts:
Mumofazoo · 01/04/2023 16:55

I thought it was my asd that made me like this. I have so much chewelry for that exact reason. I also love picking scabs till they bleed, then let them heal and pick again.

Jewelanemone · 01/04/2023 16:55

Putting salt on a mouth ulcer. So painful it's pleasurable, in a swoony lightheaded way.

PuppyMonkey · 01/04/2023 16:59

Ooh, yes I like putting Bonjela on a mouth ulcer. Excruciating.Grin

hardyloveit · 01/04/2023 17:07

I love biting the inside of my cheeks!
Also love pulling hair out of my head but one at a time!
Scabs being picked.
The list goes on!

Original poster
TokyoStories · 01/04/2023 17:21

Ludo19 · 01/04/2023 16:30

Hard leg day at the gym. It's bloody sore and makes me feel like I'm walking like I've shit myself but the deep ache is divine.

I’d forgotten about this one! Heaven

OP posts:
Nospringchix · 02/04/2023 20:12

Having a piercing. The anticipation/ slight anxiety beforehand followed by sharp short lived pain then fantastic endorphin release!

WeeOrcadian · 02/04/2023 20:19

Beantag · 01/04/2023 14:51

For me it's rubbing or picking at the skin around my nails, I don't do it anymore as I used to get a bit carried away. It's painful but feels so so so good.

This is called dermatillomania, it also goes hand in hand with tricho
trichotillomania, they're forms of OCD. There is also a form that includes lip / inner mouth / cheek chewing

CoalCraft · 02/04/2023 20:20

Can't relate to your teeth torture I'm afraid! The closest thing I can think of is scratching an insect bite. Goddam do I love that, even when the skin is pink and sore and it hurts a bit. I actually get quite excited when I discover an insect bite! I don't go make myself bleed though and have never done myself serious damage.

I know I'm not the only one as my dad talks at length about the joys of insect bites. If they were on his back he'd have me scratch them! DH thinks we're both mad.

CoalCraft · 02/04/2023 20:22

Ludo19 · 01/04/2023 16:30

Hard leg day at the gym. It's bloody sore and makes me feel like I'm walking like I've shit myself but the deep ache is divine.

This but the day after horse riding.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 02/04/2023 20:45

Oooooh yes to the wobbly tooth thing. The clicking noise and tingly pain hnnnnngh. I also love pressing a hot facecloth on a spot that hasn’t broken through the skin yet, pure orgasmic bliss. It feels like it’s going to erupt through my skin and blast out, such a good pain.

SwirlyShirly · 02/04/2023 20:49

I like to scratch my legs until it burns. Does that count?!

WhatToDoNowñ · 02/04/2023 20:56

I was reading thinking wtf people, that’s just weird !! And then I remembered that when I have a massage I like it when it’s really firm to the point where it hurts and it feels good. Also stretching sometimes it hurts but feels good. All the others mentioned here though are horrible and I wouldn’t want to feel the pain associated with any of those! I would like some rational explanation though - and why some body part pains and not others ?
Oh and the eyebrow thing is it the pain you like or the feeling of accomplishment when you get them out ? That could be a dopamine hit ?

Cicily · 02/04/2023 21:02

Sounds more like relief than pain. Feel free to take my metastatic cancer pain.

Borris · 02/04/2023 21:06

If my hair needs a wash then taking a tuft and circling it at the root feels divine. I salivate

MagicMatilda · 02/04/2023 21:14

The aching after leg cramp…weird but enjoyable

leaderofthelittles · 02/04/2023 21:16

I really enjoyed labour, but I always just thought that was because it wasn't actually painful.

Isledelaray · 02/04/2023 21:18

@GrannieD I like a blood pressure monitor too!

I like rubbing my temples when they're tender, it hurts but it's so good.

My husband gives the best deep tissue massage on my sore back, I could get addicted to the pain!

My gums almost itch after eating pork and I love poking at them, although it hurts a bit.

Rubbing the sides of achey boobs before I'm due on, it's painful and it doesn't provide relief but I like it.

Isledelaray · 02/04/2023 21:19

Oh and I love an insect bite scratch as well. My husband thinks I'm mad but I quite like being bitten so I can get the itch.

Abracadabra12345 · 02/04/2023 21:23

Doormatnomore · 01/04/2023 15:32

I find scratching really nice. Like if you get a mosquito bite and can really go to town. I have to watch because obviously you can damage the skin but I love the feeling of scratching. I googled it once and the only result I could find dismissively said I didn’t enjoy scratching I enjoyed the sensation when it stopped. But I’ve checked, by having a really long scratch and it was definitely the scratching not the stopping.

Oh yes!! It feels delicious! I mean, there has to be some compensation for those bloody mozzies

Stickworm · 02/04/2023 21:23

I cannot resist, and really enjoy, squeezing really painful spots.

vestanesta · 02/04/2023 21:35

When you've had dental Work and the gum is sore after the injection/poking and prodding. Voluptuous pain. It's honestly not a sex thing but it feels very alive

polka62 · 02/04/2023 21:53

This is the most bizarre thread.

Started reading it thinking youre all mad!

Then came across plucking eyebrow hairs out and scratching an insect bite. That I can relate to. I guess exercise is also a kind of pain that some people enjoy?

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/04/2023 22:14

Ever since I have got a bit old and stiff jointed a good stretch is far more pleasurable than it used to be.

And giving eczema a good scratch can be a dopamine hit for sure.

A dentist once told me kids used to be really into pulling loose teeth and had hot much more weedy in recent years, so you might be the of the hardy generation.

LondonLovie · 02/04/2023 22:17

Pressing my nail super hard it to an insect bite!

CinderRosie · 02/04/2023 22:27

I also love curling my hair at the root when it’s overdue a wash. A weird satisfying painful stretching feeling.

Leg ache after a cramp is amazing and I bribe DH to massage it for me. A couple of years ago I had a knot in my calf after starting a new exercise and it could be felt under the skin all tight and sore but when it was massaged it felt divine, I was gutted when it healed.

When I’ve done a long distance run my toe nails sometimes feel bruised and sore the next day which is an enjoyable pain and even more so again when massaged.

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