Can you damage your brain with pain?!


Question: Can you damage your brain with pain!?
I was wondering how the pain scale works!.
Is there a certain amount of pain that you can experience that after a prolonged exposure to, you will become insane/brain damaged!?

I think it is possible, right!? I mean, being exposed to a lot of pain for a long period of time could hurt the nerves, right!?
How extreme would this pain have to be!? How long of exposure would be needed!?

I was just curious because it says in Harry Potter that Neville Longbottom's parents were tortured into insanity!.Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
Hello Sixx - that's a great question! I am a Clinical Pharmacist and consult and take care of a lot of patients in chronic pain!. I myself got a ruptured + prolapsed L4-5 disk last year and went through the 'brain damage' challenge that usually comes with severe chronic pain!.

Basically, the brain is made up of neurons (nerve cells)!. Neurons communicate by making and 'catching' neurotransmitters!. These are special messenger chemicals and are in a very complicated and delicate balance in the brain (central nervous system)!.

Now, in severe and/or prolonged pain, the neurons have to work extra hard producing and managing these neurotransmitters, like Norepinephrine, Dopamine and Seratonin!. Finally, they get tired to the point of not producing or using enough Seratonin,etc!.!.When that happens, they don't have enough to pass on messages and communicate as a whole!. The brain develops a shortage of these messenger chemicals, the neurons are even less functional!.!.and eventually, like an engine running full steam without engine oil, it starts to freeze/snap!

That's called DEPRESSION, with often accompanying SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, PANIC ATTACKS, FITS OF RAGE, CRYING, SCREAMING, HOPELESSNESS and DESPONDENCY!. Prisoners of War often have stories of prolonged pain and torture, and going temporarily insane with the above!. So yes, in a way, the brain chemicals are totally out of balance, the neurons are running on empty - not able to work well or cope at all!. That sounds like 'hurt nerves' to me!. It's a mess!. Eep!

The Pain Scale is the subjective awareness a person has - the communication from the brain, about the severity and nature of the pain!. Pain can be many different kinds of physical sensations, as well as emotional, mental and even spiritual pain!. With pain comes the brains' interpretation of it, usually it is, 'I am suffering!'!. The Pain Scale is for how bad the person feels he/she is suffering!.

So, the medical solution is to re-balance the brain neurotransmitter levels back to normal!. This is done in part with certain antidepressants like SSRI's!. SSRI's increase the brain levels of Seratonin, which neurons need to create awareness of feelings of peace, fullness and contentment, for example!. Other drugs, like morphine, actually behave like a brain chemical and talk directly to the brain, making it temporarily turn off the awareness of pain!. Yogi's and meditators have learned to order the brain to adjust brain chemicals just by their conscious will! It's really quite interesting!. :)

Hope this helps,

Dr!. Devi Nostrum, Pharm!.D!. (Doctor of Pharmacy)

P!.S!. to my competition - really, jealousy is unattractive and slander is actionable (as in legal action)!. Let people get the best information from licensed professionals!. Healthcare is serious business, answers from amateurs can be dangerous if not incorrect/ useless!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

It's your brain telling to you have an injury or something is wrong by pain!. The brain work on electrical activity, the nervous system is part of that, impulses from the brain to the injured site warn of an injury!.
Unlikely to get brain damage from pain, it's just very nasty being in constant pain with no relief!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

prolly to a point where your nerve systems does not work and you cant even feel pain anymore!.
i remember watching in texas chainsaw massacre where the brute killer slit the guys wrists and just peeled off his whole skin and the sad victim couldnt feel anymore pain, but this was just a movie!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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