Does social contact (even positive) cause physical pain?

Seeking Advice

Hi all. I'm a late-diagnosed autistic, and since diagnosis have been putting together the pieces of my various health and chronic pain issues.

Am I the only one that experiences significant back/muscles aches from even 1-2 hours of social interaction? I will sometimes leave a social event such as a coffee or a work meeting feeling intense back muscle tension, or intense IBS pain. It's so painful and really tires me out. I never thought the pain had a social origin, until I noticed that I near-never experience this pain when I'm on my own at home. The social contact / dealing with social performances (even e-mailing) / masking is what triggers it. It's unmistakeable, and I think is generated by the intense amounts of processing, noticing, perception, and thought that go into just being a socially functioning person.

I also have a CPTSD history, and suspect the pain is one of those unfortunately crossovers. I would love to hear how others experience or cope with socially-induced physical pain.

Posted Sep 1, 2026, 4:40 PM UTC

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