In these two chapters, seven and eight, we learned about pain, understanding pain and stress and pain. I think it is always interesting to learn about how certain processes work, like registering pain, it is something that we never really think about. If I touch a hot pan I never really think about how first my skin reacts to the stimulation then sends nerve impulses to the spinal cord, and from there it gets relayed to the brain. Then the somatosensory cortex in the brain interprets the pain. It seems like such a long process, but it happens faster than you can realize you just touched a hot pan. .
There are a few ways that pain is ambiguous, the meaning can only be described by how critical or long lasting the pain is or types can be put into syndromes. Measurement can only be done trough observation, muscle tension or autonomic arousal. These three ways can be difficult to measure pain which is why self report is most commonly used. Even in self report a pain is hard to describe. For me I have described pains related to pains that we have all felt; like a tattoo feels like a cat scratch or it feels like a stabbing pain or a throbbing pain. I assume that everyone knows what a cat scratch or stabbing or throbbing pain feels like, but it is a very hard thing to describe. .
Back to talking about stress again, one of my favorite subjects. According to the book two personal strategies for coping with pain and stress are social support and personal control. I think both are equally important. I know I cannot do anything unless I am fully behind myself one hundred percent. If I am not into it I will not succeed in it. And social support is always important especially when it comes to weaknesses like pain and stress. When I am not feeling up to par the helping hand of a friend can make all the difference in the world. For me coping with stress would just be to take a relaxing bath or a nap, just something relaxing.
