Do you ever feel physical pain from bad memories?

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Lately I can't keep some memories out of my head, silly bad experiences when I've said something online which makes me feel really stupid and/or has caused disagreements in the past. Every time they get into my thoughts, I get really bad stomach cramps and get a headache feeling, and I get an impulse to curl up into a ball, or cover my face etc.

Most of the time I don't actually do anything about it, sometimes I cover my eyes and zone out for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, the stomach pain lasts several hours, as does the headache occasionally.It's not really a shutdown, because I have had those as well, and they are much more out of body, in my case anyway.

Just wondedring if anyone else has physical reactions to memories and thoughts like this? It feel a bit weird, especially since its something I've only noticed over the last month or so.

Yes, I sure do. I know my reactions of recalling certain events can be really visceral. I've actually become faint with sickening recall of specific experiences. Ouch. I know what you mean and I wish I knew a way to stop this from happening.

As I understand, Aspies are especially prone to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for this very reason that you wrote about, coupled with the fact that we have really good (too good?) memory recall. On the upside, it means you are an exceptionally sensitive person.

From my own experience, lots of neurotypical people can hurt another really badly or case a great deal of harm and sincerely not feel much remorse at all. And I've been hurt by them. Then they don't give a care what they did and I'm left reeling in pain.

So, iggy64, try to take care - know that you are prone to PTSD and take extra care of yourself. Sorry whatever (or whomever) still is hurting you - and it is real. I guess that means, at all costs, distancing yourself from traumatic situations as best you can. Trauma is hard to recover from, I know. Prevention is far easier than treating it. I think when an event is so 'out of control' then it becomes too hard to cope with - for instance, we've heard people say, "I can't believe it" or "this can't be happening." Yes, that's real. You might be experiencing this sort-of phenomenon. Well, you did not deserve whatever happened to you - sorry you were hurt in this way Once a wise person told me to never ask 'why' because that question is unanswerable.

Yeah I do and I hate it...I mean it's kind of hellish having to re-live past pain over and over and over again. I mean I think I have heard hell described that way, of course if anyones gone there I doubt they returned to tell the tale.

Yes usually stomach pain with a bit of sickness, the feeling can last for hours.

When I re-live a bad memory I feel this tight, numb, heavy feeling in my chest and stomach. I feel sick and can't move and there's this pulsating ache all through my chest and abdomen. Sometimes even stabbing pains in my stomach. I end up crying until my face hurts because I can't suppress a memory once it's risen. All I can do is let it run its course.

Yeah, bad/embarrasing memories are so vivid and they come back in cycles. Always the stupid stuff I've said and the incredulous or angry reactions I got back not expecting them at the time. Definitely feel it in the gut, sometimes I will go bright red with anger and shame.

When I relive a bad memory, I start to hurt and I feel all sick on the inside and I get this feeling of fear. I feel wobbly for a few hours after that. I might think about it for a couple of days.

Yes. It makes things worse - the memory itself is bad enough - physical pain as well just makes me want to stay in bed.
My stomach gets painful and my muscles tighten up across my shoulders.

It's almost like I can feel my heart tearing and breaking. Yes, I can definitely relate.

It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation as to why emotional distress can be felt as pain in the region where one would imagine the heart is...I sometimes feel a terrible pain in my heart when sad. It is my least favorite sensation/state.

If the memory is about physical pain, I can feel some of it. Years ago, some blood was taken from me. I don't think the people handling the needle knew what they were doing. The pain was rather excruciating, and I think they missed the vein on the inside of my elbow the first time around. When I think about it, like now, the muscles in my right arm hurt a bit and there's a numb, stiff feeling between my right elbow and my right hand. This winter, I fell on the ice face-first, lost consciousness for a few minutes, and had a rather visible wound on my chin. That part of my chin is still a bit touchy, but only when I think of it, and I get a bit dizzy if I think about it too much.

At times, reading something really bad causes me to feel like my midriff is under a lot of pressure, and some memories make my heart area and left pulse cramp a lot.

when i relive certain situations i can feel everything that happened during them they are so vivid and painful that sometimes i can even smell the smells in the air and here the sounds. and sometimes it last as long if not longer than the actual event

I've had that before due to depression & anxiety disorders like OCD & Post Traumatic Stress. I haven't in a long time thou since I'm over the depression & my anxiety is a lot better than it used to be.

Sweet Pea hugs

I don't feel pain but I've recently picked up the habit of yelling/swearing or making some sound when I think of a bad experience.