Does a body start to tolerate pain more? I'm almost always in pain all the time, but the longer it goes on during the day, the less it feels. But, if I feel like a slightly more painful head throbbing (after the pain has died down), I actually start crying. Is it just that I can't recognize it anymore?

I've been refusing to take the pain med I have left (I have two, but the 30% working one is out) usually whacks me out. I can't afford to be stupid for 24 hours. @.@ in fact, the one pill I do have on me, I've only taken once since I got it. So, I don't think I can blame the weird reactions on the pills.

So yeah, I was wondering if I was just starting to 'ignore it' or not, or if that's even possible? I've asked a couple of people, one being someone who has been in two anatomy classes, but they didn't know either.

Your body actually does build up pain tolerance over time, and this goes double for women. Believe it or not, women have a much higher pain threshold than men do (sorry boys!). It has to do with the fact that women's bodies have to go through childbirth.

I learned all of this recently from my cousin, who is a paramedic, so this info is legitimate. She actually told me that many women will have a heart attack and not know it because they have simply learned to "ignore" the pain, but men will feel it every time, with the exception of about 2% of them.

So yes, it's possible to ignore pain, or build up a tolerance, but I'm sure it depends on how you personally deal with pain. Also, I'm sure it would take some time to get used to, and I'm not sure that you really want to go through that kind of discomfort.

I think the answer is kind of complicated and there is no real "yes or no" response to this.

After all, pain is a combination of things. We feel pain from physical and emotional events so pain is not entirely related to our bodies but is also from our minds. A broken heart is painful but doesn't physically hurt you. A sprained foot is painful but doesn't emotionally hurt you. Pain is entirely relative to the situation and the individual.

I believe everyone has a natural threshold where they can tolerate a certain amount of any sensation before it becomes too much. Every one is different, of course, so not everyone has the same threshold.

You can, however, overstimulate your body to the point where you "don't feel pain" in a sense. If you're exposed to a certain pain for too long you may find that your mind will eventually try to dull your senses so that you notice it less. Kind of like if you have an itch but ignore it. It will be really annoying at first and eventually you won't feel anything anymore. You must remember that being intolerant to pain is not really a good thing, though. It can actually hurt you more than it can help you.

I hope you feel better soon!

I'm a firm believer that the body does build up a resistance. I for one, have an insanely high tolerance for pain and this has not always been the case.

A few years ago, I was involved in a really bad car accident that honestly should have killed me. Nobody knows how I survived. I managed to break just about everything on the left side of my body - and have permanent damage to my left leg. I am in pain every day because of it, since I cannot afford a knee replacement due to it's cost and the recovery time needed for it. I use to have to give myself an injections in my knee once a day for pain along with taking vicodin for any left over pain. How ever in the last two years I've weened myself off of the shots and only take the Vicodin on the nights I work my Waitress job when standing for 8-12 hours really takes it's toll.

Now on normal days, I don't take anything. It still hurts, but does not affect me as much as it use to. The doctors says I'm one scary strong lady - because to anybody who hasn't got accustomed to it, it would hurt like crazy.

Since I'm so use to the pain in my leg and stuff, when I got my first tattoo... I fell asleep lol. My friend kept trying to hurt me as he inked me and was unable to. The large biker looking dude in front of me had tears in his eyes as he got his in the same spot.



Long story short, yes, I think you can get use to pain and build up a higher tolerance.

Thank you, all three of you. This has been most helpful. It makes a whole lot of sense. Lady Shrii, you are strong. O.O I couldn't even think of getting a tattoo.

It depends, Smittee.

I used to be falling around and getting into accidents often enough when I was a child, that I built up a very high tolerance to pain. However, for some strange reason, after I grew into my teens, my tolerance for pain grew less and less. Now I can't even stand the slightest stub of a toe, or even a small scratch. I really don't know why it's so, because I'm still as clumsy and accident prone as ever. Which means some part of my body is always hurting. ::shrugs and wonders::

You are badass, Shrii.