THE ‘REWARDS’ OF PAIN
Patterns of pain behaviour are very self-destructive.Yet sometimes people discover that there are coincidental, secondary rewards for suffering, such as increased attention, decreased family responsibility and avoidance of sexual activity. Alternatively, the pain can be used to provide a convenient tool which can be used to manipulate others.The attraction of such games may be strong enough to keep pain patients from recovering. They thus find it worth their while to adopt a certain posture and particular movements which may have been prevented, or alleviated, by taking the appropriate prescribed drugs at the recommended level.
Consequently, they may continue the posture, or the limp,or the drugs — even if such habits no longer have credibility. It is all part of the convincing pain games that a small, but important, minority of patients play.
Some pain sufferers may have found that their pain habits elicit sympathy, feelings of concern, or even approval — rewards they are willing to buy at the expense of being in pain. A particular facial expression, a moan, or a particular ‘pained’ look may offer a pleasant pay-off because others usually respond with kind words or efforts to help.
More common is the patient who is extremely hostile to doctors or members of their families who refuse to act sympathetically to gestures of pain. And there’s the type of patient who wants to ‘even the score’ with a spouse not considered sympathetic enough.
*50\37\8*
Post a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.