Anesthesia Affective

Affective anesthesia/sensation of numbness, loss of sensation, pain relief by affecting the central nervous system

Anesthesia is affective - a syndrome in which the patient may feel immobilized, altered, or free from pain. The patient also feels that all his senses are muted or removed. This condition is often associated with the use of medications to relieve pain, such as opioids, anesthetics, anticholinergics, and others.

There are different types of affective anesthesia, including barbituate anesthesia, which is caused by barbiturates and other drugs, and amphosteroid anesthesia, which is caused by other drugs or pain medications. In some cases, therapy aimed at reducing pain may actually increase catecholamines or norepinephrine levels, causing an anesthetic effect.

The state of affective anesthesia is easily identified if the patient describes how his sensations seem distant or imaginary. Patients may also experience tearfulness, hesitancy, and vulnerability. Sometimes patients may be inclined to talk about their feelings and imagination.

The behavior of anesthetized patients may change, and they may exhibit significant degrees of refraction or depression, as well as be sensitive to the expectations and attitudes of others. They may also enter a state described as “instability,” which may include episodic behavioral indifference and an anesthetic state that may also cause unreasonable fears.