The "mini-culture" of my family agreed with the majority of
             mainstream America: pain is bad. There was no middle ground, there was no
             acceptable pain and unacceptable pain. Pain was not ignored, but rather
             rushed to find medical or professional attention at the slightest inkling
             of the discomfort. Pain was never dealt with naturally, but rather
             medicated ad nauseum. This is not an adaptive behavior because, if there
             were to come a time when there was not a drug or treatment to erase the
             pain, a person who is not able to live with some degree of it will not
             remain functional. However, when I became an adolescent, I met a new "mini-
             culture" that embraced pain and from there I learned to experience that
             which is meant to be natural as part of life. This has allowed me to deal
             with pain, both emotional and physical, without having to consult a
             physician or psychologist. I can simply live my life, which is an adaptive
             behavior, giving me the freedom to be myself. However, despite my new
             understanding and appreciation of pain as a natural sensation, I would
             still seek medical attention if I suddenly had pain in my chest. This is
             an adaptive behavior because chest pain could be the sign of a heart
             attack, and although you can live with pain, you cannot live without a
             functioning heart and the issue should be addressed.
             Right now I am feeling fabric draped across my skin. In places, when
             I concentrate, it is a little itchy, in other places it is soft and
             comforting. I am smelling fresh pollen in the air and the fragrance of a
             lit incense stick. I am seeing before me the computer screen, my hands
             moving across the keys in my peripheral vision. I begin to taste an
             emptiness in my mouth and feel the same in my stomach as I am very hungry.
             I have slight goosebumps on my flesh from the breeze going across the room.
             I am also sleepy. As I describe these sensations, I am c...