Tuesday, September 30, 2008

PaiN TranSfeREnCe

I have been having a series of procedures done to the soles of my feet for some viral infection that has developed there. Each procedure involves razor blades and liquid nitrogen, which is no fun. There is normally a fair bit of pain involved during the procedure itself, and pain from the swelling and blisters that form after the procedure.

In the beginning, when I first started the procedures, I would look at what the nurses are doing to my feet, in the hopes that when I see what they are doing, I can rationally convince myself it is not such a big deal after all. Still pain.

Then I began to close my eyes so I could not see what the nurses are doing, focusing my thoughts on happy things, hoping that my mind is able to will the pain away. Still pain.

So I have been prompted to look into the theory of pain transference. Recently during the procedure, I would grab a part of my arm and pinch it really really hard. Odd as it sounds, it actually works. There is still pain, but when the pain is something I can control (pinching myself), it is more bearable than something I cannot control (nurses doing the procedure). It is like manually teleporting the pain from one place to another.

I wonder if the pain in my feet will completely disappear if I simultaneously pinch both of my arms?
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh dear... please don't pinch yourself. Here's another pain transference method that I use -- when feeling pain, breathe it in and imagine that you are feeling the pain on behalf of the world, so that someone else in the world doesn't have to go through what you are going through now.

It works for me, sans bruise on arm. Try it!

dEliRiuM said...

wow... that sounds very 伟大... shall remember to keep breathing!