On vocalizing pain OR Do you scream when you stub your toe?

Today, I hit my shin so hard I couldn’t speak.

I was in the bathtub, cleaning, and didn’t make sure the bath mat was stuck to the floor before attempting to leave the tub. (PSA: This is a bad idea.) I slipped, fell, and was in so much pain I had to sit still for a few minutes. Fully clothed, in the tub.

When I finally got his attention, A. laughed and hit record. I hid behind the curtain.

And it occurs to me that most of the time when I’m in physical pain, I maybe gasp but mostly am pretty quiet, waiting for the worst of it to pass. I’m human and very, very flawed, and I realize I have this same reaction in different circumstances: I’ve walked into multiple door frames, touched things that just came out of the oven (or are still in it), tripped regularly while running and even stepped on something that went through my shoe (also today), cut my finger instead of food with a sharp knife, and have even spilled hot tea on myself. Twice.

(Don’t I make a great impression?)

I don’t think I’m unique in this pain-means-quiet business, and I think it’s conditioned: just think of the sound of falls at the playground.

So here’s what I’m wondering: How do people alert others if they’re in pain or danger and need help right now? Does screaming take conscious thought or is it instinct? Does it take practice, like self-defense classes, or perhaps some way of losing inhibition, like acting?

(My shin’s okay, by the way. And my foot. Thank you.)

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