Dear Matt:

I read your other new thread and will respond to the two here (I responded to previous threads that you started but you didn’t get back to me on those):

Your emotions that you feel, the anger toward your mother for one, the emotion itself is not the problem, or the enemy. The situation bringing about the emotion was/ is the problem. You desperately want to forgive your mother so to not feel the anger anymore. I understand that, but it is the situation that needs to be resolved before the anger is resolved.

The anger simply carries the message that a situation was or is harmful to you. Resolve the situation, do not try to eliminate the messenger.

Regarding the low pain tolerance, anxiety does that. Anxiety, added to the physical event and physical pain exacerbates the overall distress. And, I believe there is no difference between men and women in this regard, biologically. Social roles conventions do not change the biology: men and women feel fear and pain the same.

anita