For most individuals, experiencing pain is an unavoidable aspect of life.
Imagining a life devoid of pain can seem like a blissful fantasy, almost akin to a superpower. However, there is a condition that makes this fantasy somewhat real, but it turns out it isn’t as ideal as one might think.
A person affected by a condition that prevents them from feeling pain, known as congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) or congenital analgesia, has shared their insights on living with this condition.
In an ‘AMA’ (Ask Me Anything) thread on Reddit, the anonymous individual discussed how congenital analgesia has led them to feel paranoid.
Describing their condition, the poster stated: “When I was four, I was diagnosed with a disorder called CIP, congenital insensitivity to pain, also known as congenital analgesia.
“I’m eighteen currently, and I’ve sustained many injuries in my life that I either didn’t notice or didn’t recognize as severe until after treatment. I also have extreme difficulty regulating my temperature and registering dangerous levels of heat.
“Because of this, I have excessive scarring on the finger tips of my right hand, and only my pinky and thumb have fingerprints.”
In a subsequent post, the user elaborated on why the condition is more of a curse than a blessing.
“While it’s cool sometimes that I can’t feel pain per se, I still have to deal with the aftermath,” they explained.
This means that even though they might ignore accidents or injuries in theory, in reality, they must be vigilant about their body’s needs. Otherwise, they risk overlooking something significant and sustaining long-term damage.
After all, while the absence of pain might sound appealing, it serves an essential function by warning us of harm to our bodies.
The user mentioned: “The idea of something happening internally though is a frequent source of anxiety.”
“What if I have internal bleeding somewhere, and I can’t tell?” they continued. “What if my kidney failed again, and I’ll drop dead any minute? It’s definitely caused me to be more paranoid now, but it’s not like it takes over my mind. Sometimes I still forget I need to be extra careful or that a situation could be harmful to me.
“I’m lucky to have family and friends that are way more conscientious of my CIP than I am, especially my girlfriend.”
The user described how their parents instilled a cautious approach to their health from a young age, which they have adhered to despite having a ‘morbid fascination’ with pain.
Although the original poster cannot experience physical pain, they clarified in the thread that they can still feel emotional pain.
They added: “I do feel emotional pain, absolutely. I’ve never felt like I feel things differently emotionally, and I get asked a lot.”