Fishmanpa
04-09-19, 23:41
I've been watching a really interesting medical show on Netflix with the wife called "Ask the Doctor". The 5th episode was about chronic pain. They did a test that measured the brain's response to pain via MRI. The subject, a physician himself, was set up for the test and he admitted to being quite nervous prior. They injected a muscle with saline to induce pain and measured the response from his brain. What I found interesting is that his brain, especially the emotional centers were reacting even prior to the injection.
I made the connection to anxiety sufferers in that the hyper-awareness of physical stimuli often trigger panic and intensify the pain and again, that was proven in the test. Because his anticipation about the test and the pain associated with it, his brain amplified the intensity from an emotional level. They even said it's like a catch 22 in that the anxiety amplifies the reaction and then the reaction amplifies the emotional response etc.
We see that here on the boards on a regular basis. There is a direct link on how we perceive and react to pain stimuli depending on our emotional state and the conclusion I see is that anxiety sufferers experience and react in an exaggerated manner to it. Also, as I've said many times, treating the anxiety treats the symptoms associated with it as well as the intensity of what is perceived and actually felt.
Positive thoughts
I made the connection to anxiety sufferers in that the hyper-awareness of physical stimuli often trigger panic and intensify the pain and again, that was proven in the test. Because his anticipation about the test and the pain associated with it, his brain amplified the intensity from an emotional level. They even said it's like a catch 22 in that the anxiety amplifies the reaction and then the reaction amplifies the emotional response etc.
We see that here on the boards on a regular basis. There is a direct link on how we perceive and react to pain stimuli depending on our emotional state and the conclusion I see is that anxiety sufferers experience and react in an exaggerated manner to it. Also, as I've said many times, treating the anxiety treats the symptoms associated with it as well as the intensity of what is perceived and actually felt.
Positive thoughts