BI215-A: Principles of Genetics

Both of my parents actually have chronic pain. My mom has chronic headaches which recur at least two weeks out of each month. My dad on the other hand has chronic pain in his knees. He used to avidly play in a rec basketball league but had to stop because the pain was too much and when we go on long road trips, he has to stop periodically to get out of the car and move his legs around to alleviate some of the pain. Some unhealthy ways people in our society attempt to treat or deal with chronic pain include smoking, abusing drugs or alcohol, and overeating. On the flip side, there are several ways to manage and treat chronic pain. From a psychological standpoint, it is recommended to manage stress. Oftentimes physical and emotional pain are related to one another so learning to manage stressors are important. Psychologists also suggest framing your cognitions to take a more positive perspective, becoming more active and engaged, finding a community of support, and talking to a professional. Other sources discuss the importance of exercising, meditating, and working out to combat chronic pain. A gene that is being targeted for gene therapy in the amygdala are the NOP-coding genes. This was demonstrated in a test on rodents in which the effectiveness of nociceptin on stress was tested. A drug that inhibits pain sensation in the amygdala are opioids. I think pain perception in our society  can come from several factors but from a psychological standpoint, I think pain is subjective. Essentially, how we perceive pain is based on previous experiences of pain, coping methods, cognitive abilities, personality, etc. I also think a lot of it also learned pain from society. By seeing other people’s experience of pain, we may skew situations of pain as worse than they actually are. 

Molitor, N., Keck, A., & Nordal, K. (n.d.). Coping with chronic pain. Retrieved April 23, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/chronic-pain