JustAnswer > Mental Health
Ask A Question|Register|Login|Help
JustAnswer

Mental Health

Ask a Mental Health Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Mental Health question?

5 Mental Health Professionals are Online Now
characters left:
Not a Mental Health Question?
Bookmark and Share

Question

Connection between ability to tolerate pain as an adult survivor of serious child abuse

Submitted: 44 days and 5 hours ago.
Category: Mental Health
Value: $14
Status: AWAITING EXPERT REPLY
+
Read More

Optional Information

Gender: Female
Age: 62

Already Tried:
Professional counseling

Posted by Kelley 44 days and 5 hours ago.

Info Request

Hi,

Thanks for using JustAnswer!

Could you please clarify for me what you are asking.

Are you wanting to know if you have a lower pain tolerance as a child of serious child abuse?

Have you been evaluated by a psychiatrist for depression?

I just need a little more information to best answer your question.

44 days and 5 hours ago.

Reply

Yes, the question primarily relates to a lower tolerance of pain. Am in treatment with a counselor for what she has diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. My right arm is broken; I was following doctor's orders to have an MRI completed and simply could NOT endure the requested shot in my shoulder to inject dye. I did manage to endure the MRI as I had had one before, 15 years ago...but while inside I sobbed the entire time. Counselor quickly diagnosed my reaction as a flashback to the abuse....trapped, flat on my back, no escape, etc. The PAIN I felt during this confinement was hideous. Now, shall have to explain/defend my reaction to the ortho doc who ordered the MRI WITH dye injection.

Posted by Kelley 44 days and 4 hours ago.

Answer

Yes your therapist is right. There is a connection and it sounds like they are right on in their evaluation of the reason you had the extreme pain and reaction.

I understand it can be hard to discuss this with yet another doctor but I would suggest writting a letter explaining your reason so that when it comes time to talk to him you will already know what you need to say. If he still needs the test they may be able to give you some medication to relax you or have you do a standing open MRI. If the ortho doctor is a professional he will deal with your issue and trauma in a professional way and will understand and accomodate you.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can assist anymore. I am here to help.

44 days and 4 hours ago.

Reply

I appreciate the feedback, but I still lack what I wanted...It is a result of my failure to frame the question in the proper way. I am searching for credible, printed evidence that there is a strong connection between pain tolerance/someone who was brutally assaulted from the age of 9 until 16 by a sexually-abusive step-father and a mother who didn't care to know. My own counselor, whom I HIGHLY respect, recalls studying the connection but cannot lead me to it. I have read COURAGE TO HEAL and ALLIES IN HEALING but can find no reference in either to the pain/abuse issue. I have researched online and found a few tidbits of scientific papers but feel there MUST be some textbook evidence I can use to point to when I see my ortho doc probably next week.

Accepted Answer

I can not find a lot between pain and sexual abuse but there is a lot about pain and PTSD which those of sexual abuse often experience and it sounds like you may have experienced that day of the test when you flashed back to your childhood trauma.

http://www.sidran.org/sub.cfm?contentID=76&sectionid=4 (Look under Retrusive Re-experience)

http://www.discoveryarticles.com/articles/1382/1/Chronic-Pain-And-Ptsd-A-Guide-For-Patients/Page1.html

http://www.memphis.edu/psychology/pdfs/athena/PTSDSymptoms.pdf

http://ptsd.about.com/od/relatedconditions/a/PTSDandHealth.htm

Picture
Expert: Kelley
Pos. Feedback: 98.8 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 10/10/2009

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

BSW, MSW, LCSW

44 days and 3 hours ago.

Reply

You have worked hard for me tonight, Kelley....and I certainly don't want to withhold your pay. I won't know whether the sites you have listed will help me until I check them. I am surprised this is so difficult to find/document. Thank you very much for your help.

Posted by Kelley 44 days and 3 hours ago.

Info Request

No problem! Best of luck. It is difficult to find but I think the connection between pain and the sexual abuse stems from PTSD part of the trauma and there is a lot more research regarding that. Please let me know if I can assist anymore. I hope you have good night and best wishes.

44 days and 3 hours ago.

Reply

I don't know why I am being asked to repeat this. But, here goes: Kelley worked hard for me tonight. After approximately an hour and a half I still do not have my answer. I have been given web addresses to check. Since I have yet to do that I cannot fairly evaluate my satisfaction. AND, I have already "clicked through" and authorized payment via PayPal.....so I am confused as to why any question remains.

+
Read More

Related Mental Health Questions

  • My sister in law died tragically in a car accident 13 years
  • my mum has bad depression and i just dont know how to help
  • I'm a73 y/o Caucasian male, college educated professional (c...
  • i m think long time, grow angry, depression, what can i do
  • I have tremors from Abilify (I think). I took if for about
  • I constantly worry about my girlfriend leaving me, it's been
  • Looking for an opinion: have two daughters 6 and 9. After di...
  • Ok, so i've been diagnosed with PTSD and BPD. for most of th...



Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.
Question List | Become an Expert | Terms of Service | Security & Privacy | About Us
© 2003-2009 JustAnswer Corp.