Pain & tolerance

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Yes! I have refused anesthetic for this reason, and for the reason that I had a very bad reaction to "sedative" or twilight anesthetic when I was 10 years old. Since then, I have had surgery (an abdominal procedure, misc. injury repairs, and my vasectomy) without any anesthetic or sedatives, or even any narcotic pain pills. Only local numbing shots. The thought of a mind-altering drug to induce a fake sleep is far scarier to me, than feeling a knife cutting me, or most any other inflicted physical pain.

As far as the OP's question, I think pain is perceived differently by us with autism. I passed a kidney stone, and that's supposed to be cripplingly painful, and it indeed was painful, but not what others describe, and not what the doctor said it should have felt like. I don't really feel much difference between an injection and a tap on the shoulder, and honestly I'd rather be stung by a bee than have someone touch me on the back when I don't see it coming. Another example is that when I broke my middle finger (compound fracture with bone sticking out through the skin), It hurt, but I rolled paper towels around my hand, and finished what I was doing anyway, and then drove into the city to the hospital. The ER doctor didn't believe me that I could finish working on something, then drive 40 miles in that condition (broken bone exposed to the air), but that's how it was.

Charles

^^^
you're TOUGH!

do people who have a muted sense of pain also have a muted sense of pleasure? in other words, is the dynamic range of pleasure-pain shallower in the stoic types?

I'm terrified of general anesthesia, too, but the one time I've undergone it the surgeon refused to touch me unless I consented to a general. I asked (several times) about alternatives, but it was a no-go.