Pleasure in pain

[EndogenousRebel]

It's my third time going cold turkey on nicotine and honestly I've come to the conclusion that I kind of like the whole withdrawal process.

Sure the symptoms can be annoying, mostly the raspy throat. However, it's just kind of cool knowing exactly what is the cause of the negative sensations.

You experience first hand your brain having to compensate and react to a lack of it's expected nicotine/dopamine in the blood stream. There's a satisfaction in the certainty of what's causing it.

Thinking about it in a cerebral way and how these are just signals or byproducts of event that are interpreted is cool.

The same thing with bruises I may get. Seeing the damaged tissue and feeling the ache and being able to push on it, trying to split the difference between sensations of pressure and pain.

With the withdrawal or pain it's weird to just close my eyes in a quite place and sit, lean into the pain, make it the focus of my attention, and think about how nebulous our understanding is the brain is as a system. Maybe draw some pride and satisfaction from the pain.

I'm not a masochist. I don't like getting hurt and I don't like most injuries. Though as soon as this fascination comes to mind, even mid cramp, I start push my luck and fidgeting in ways to agitate the pain.

Am I the only freak?

 

[onesteptwostep]

People in my generation cut themselves (on the wrist) for pleasure, so uh, you're okay.

 

[dr froyd]

yes pain can be good if there's some meaning to it, like you know it serves some purpose and represents a process towards improvement. Like an aching muscle after exercise, for example.

 

[Black Rose]

emotional pain only leads to helplessness.

if not helplessness then arrogance.

rarely is anything learned,

self-harm is common

deterioration sets in.

 

[ZenRaiden]

It depends on context.
Certainly pain is information. Interpretation of that state matters on context and meaning of pain.
You can certainly have pain and discomfort, and learn to tolerate it too much, on the other hand there are all sorts of situations where pain and discomfort have meaning.
I actually heard an interesting opinion that fucked with my me, is that the ability to cope or be resilient can backfire. You can be too tolerant of pain. Which can lead to diminished returns.
When it comes to cigarettes I think its OK.
When it comes to things like exercising its give and take. Lots of sports can lead to injuries even permanent ones.

However I think everyone has unique way of dealing with pain.

And as is it takes all kinds to make the world go around.

It really comes down to growing pains and self destructive pains.
Some pain I guess like your cigarette smoking is kind of neutral, I don't think you are doing some major harm there. I too smoke and sometimes observe withdrawal symptoms, even 10 minutes after I crave a cigarette.
Its like my mind turns into a little toddler throwing a tantrum.

 

[EndogenousRebel]

Well I wouldn't engage in self-harm. I have never done any of this intentionally besides I guess suffering through withdrawal, but you can see that as a positive behavior.

I guess if I'm doing it to experience what basically amounts to flu-like symptoms, it's not JUST (lol) the symptoms themselves.

It's like, peaceful, knowing that I feel bad, but because of some exogenous deficit, is kinda freeing. It almost discredits any time I've ever felt bad, because so much is influenced by things out of my control. The control of being able to ostensibly give myself (acute) depression and being able to compare it to the depressive reality of life kinda draws how these two things are alike.

It's like feeling bad, but without being anxious about feeling bad. That's just how it works.

emotional pain only leads to helplessness.

I'm definitely impinging on neural circuts that have to with emotional pain, even if it's not really something I'm forced to identify with.

Above is why I think that isn't a totally true statement.

Involuntary emotional pain, repeatedly, leaves to helplessness. We opt into a lot of our experiences, and a we don't take accountability, not out of malice always, but out of ignorance, or arrogance.

People who seem compelled to marginally harm themselves-I don't understand them, and I haven't really studied it much. It's usually maladaptive reactions to guilt and general cognitive distortions? Though I really don't understand them, I'm not a half measures guy.

I actually heard an interesting opinion that fucked with my me, is that the ability to cope or be resilient can backfire. You can be too tolerant of pain. Which can lead to diminished returns.
When it comes to cigarettes I think its OK.

I see this I guess. Yeah, if you identify as some sort of machine, or predator, or coolness you're way more likely to spend more energy to get that external validation for social reasons.

 

[ZenRaiden]

People who seem compelled to marginally harm themselves-I don't understand them, and I haven't really studied it much. It's usually maladaptive reactions to guilt and general cognitive distortions? Though I really don't understand them, I'm not a half measures guy.

There is many reasons for this.
One reason can be the attempt to feel something. Its counteracting emotional shut down.

I see this I guess. Yeah, if you identify as some sort of machine, or predator, or coolness you're way more likely to spend more energy to get that external validation for social reasons.

Not what I had in my mind. For instance you can have major anxiety. But you choose to feel resilient and push through. Anxiety push, fear push, guilt push, shame push, anger push etc. Eventually you end up pushing through feeling and bulldozing them.
That leads to mental illness, break downs, chronic exhaustion, low energy, major depression and burnout. Or melt downs etc.
Essentially not fun or good to do for long.
You can certainly feel like a machine and run on adrenaline alone, but once adrenaline drops your energy goes to zero.
Its a survival mode.

Lots of people run on adrenaline alone.

 

[Black Rose]

emotional pain and physical pain are not a good combination.

 

[birdsnestfern]

No, not at all. The only thing close to this would be childbirth and always chosing to do it completely natural, no anesthesia at all.
And after surgeries, never using any kind of tylenol or pain killer after, just like knowing what my body is doing instead of pills. And, I can use those surgical scissors to cut off skin tags myself instead of paying a dermatologist.

I mean, wouldn't it be neat if you could stand the pain just enough to do your own liposuction surgery? lol.

Gallstones can be very paintful, but instead of surgery, take chanca piedra and drink several gallons of apple juice/cider a day to soften them up and they should pass, if they are not too big.

 

[Drvladivostok]

The principle of embracing the pain of life and not trying to hide or deny it is the best way of mitigating its effect.

The fact that I can be beaten and bloodied and still show up the next day still kicking is a testament to my human spirit, the way I rationalize it is pain, when distributed properly is merely a price to pay to learn a new aspect of a whole thing, you get your ankle sprained when practicing Jui Jitsu; good you're getting better, your narcissustic boss yells at you; good, you are experiencing a wider spectrum of human nature and is gaining grit, your understanding widdens, these bruise and cuts are testements of the lesson you've learned, the knot in your holster.

Ofcourse pain without the ability of self-reflection and wisdom, especially when inflicted on one's self is almost always a guaranteed loss, but you have to conceptialize a correct framework.

 

[sushi]

people often confuse pain and suffering, they are not the same.

suffering is the interpretation of pain, pain is just a form of stress.