Published on 12, July, 2020
Does anyone else struggle explaining how they feel with pain? I saw my GP this morning cause I've been having pains and when she asked what sort of pain it was I couldn't answer her because I don't know. Pain is pain to me. It just hurts, I couldn't elaborate on that anymore. And then she asked me what scale my pain was on from 1-10. I couldn't answer that either, it just hurt I didn't know how to explain it.
I'm pretty sure she rolled her eyes at me though can't be 100% sure of it but I'm pretty sure I saw that. She definitely gave me a look though like I was wasting her time.
I left feeling really awkward and lonely because no one around me gets what this is actually like.
It reminded me of when I was little and had tummy pain and my mum asked me what type of pain it was then too and again I didn't know I just said it hurt.
I'm wondering if this is autism related?
I think when I have been asked this, they ask me to "describe the pain" which is general enough and specific enough a question for me to cope with. So I can describe if it feels like stabbing (e.g. a more intense pin/needle ***) or pounding or ache, what part of the body is affected, how big the areas are, or how it feels like I can't do anything else and have to stand still until it passes. Usually by the time I've described it fully, the clinical person has translated it into their measures, so I rarely get asked 1-10. But they also have a chart of facial expressions, if you are a visual person they might help.
It is difficult when you are in pain, to relate it to previous pain, as you are dealing with the intensity of the current pain, which may be overwhelming! Part of the difficulty is having a recognised pain response that you can compare to. Does it feel like someone has stuck a needle/pin in you? Does it feel like someone has punched you once? Does it feel like someone is continually punching you in a regular rhythmical way? Does it feel like someone has punched or pounded you in the past? Does it feel like when you had a paper cut or knife cut on a finger?
So I guess I'm suggesting that, next time, you just describe it to them in overwhelming detail, and avoid having to analyse it in their way...