Ohhh that hurts..

Factual Questions
1

I watched a medical show tonight ( trauma life in the er) and they are pretty graphic on there. When they showed patients actual bloody wounds, I found that not only were the wounds hard to look at but that when I saw the wounds, I “hurt” too. The pain was a “skin pain” sensation down my arms, wrists and back accompanied by an unconfortable mental feeling. I have experienced this before when seeing burn victims on TV. I was just wondering if this might be the true definition of sympathy pains? If not what causes it? Does this happen to anyone else?

“Look honey, there’s the little dipper, I’d show you the big dipper but my zipper is stuck.”
-aha

2

I get weak in the knees…can feel it especially in the back of them…perhaps some sort of empathy? I remember watching Joe Theismans leg get broke sevweral years ago…They showed it over and over and over…I couldn’t walk for a few minutes.

If you can’t convince them, confuse them.
Harry S. Truman

3

I cannot stand to watch film of people or animals in pain.

That footage of Joe Theismann’s leg-break made me physically ill.

4

For me, that sensation is what makes pain really hurt. A lot of times I’ll get hurt and it won’t hurt at all until I see the blood. (I’m really sensitive to blood). It’s sort of backward that I look at my own wound and say “gee, that has to hurt” and then feel pain in sympathy for myself.

5

Well we proobably shouldn’t mention what grown men feel when they see another man get it in the groin, should we ?

Just think about it, you’re the star pitcher on the mound in the World Series and a power hitter line drives you right in the groin…

How many of you are curled up in the fetal position just thinking about it ?

6

That’s telling of people that say they have great pain but others say the pain is all in their head. In their head or not - it’s quite real and quite painful.

There are three kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can’t.

7

I love to consider myself quite empathetic. The tears flow easily at the right times, and I have a good ear for a friend, etc.
I also drive an ambulance as a volunteer. For the most astonishing things I’ve seen, I have NEVER had a moment of sympathetic pain. I sleep badly, and cry for some of the most tragic moments, but never a physical reaction. (Vomiting doesn’t count…)
I believe all of what I am reading in this thread, everyone is wired differently. Maybe I am lucky that I don’t react that way. I would have to quit, and it is most gratifying work.

Cartooniverse

" If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel. "

8

Well something I left out in my original post was that I feel this pain mostly when watching TV or film ( I guess that’s really the only place I see those wounds routinely)so it’s sorta a “third party” look. I think that if I saw those wounds in real time I would only be horrified with no skin pain…therefore I think it has to do with sensory perception in some way or the other. Strange…

9

Could be. I hear lots of guys watch porno flicks, see men with erections & get one too.

10

Hey I am guilty of that only its the girls that give me the erection… :slight_smile:

“Look honey, there’s the little dipper, I’d show you the big dipper but my zipper is stuck.”
-aha