Misc Why does being high numb pain?

[cowardescent]

Excuse me if this sounds stupid but I was really wondering what causes this. I'm not just talking about opioids which increase endorphins or even alcohol. I mean most drugs. I was watching a YouTube video on legal highs and bath salts came up. The crazy stories were of people exhibiting superhuman strength. The reality as someone pointed out is that the drugs didn't make them stronger but rather increased their threshold of pain to the point they could continuously punch glass, doors, jump off high places.

There was another SC woman who gouged her eyes out from meth-induced psychosis. She most likely had underlying mental issues but I can imagine that if she tried the same when sober, the pain would have stopped her.

My question is, what exactly do opioids, alcohol, stimulants, ketamine, dissociative, do that makes pain 'less painful'? Is it the increase in dopamine?

 

[plumbus-nine]

Well I think there is an equivalent amount of drugs which increase pain sensitivity but nobody wants to take them. The most known might be naltrexone, which does more than just antagonizing mu opioid receptors.

But to the drugs you mention, every one has its distinct mechanism but yeah all drugs of abuse increase dopamine and alleviate pain so it makes sense that DOPAmine* dopes you out of pain but I think others will come up with better explanations. I think norepinephrine does inhibit pain but not all drugs increase it.

* I know that the word dopamine doesn't origin from dope but it makes a nice word play