Disconnection between pain and expression

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How many people here have a problem with not registering an expression that tells people you're in pain?

I was noticing the other day after cutting myself, that despite the pain, my face stayed expressionless. I think this is something that has caused problems with doctors I've seen; like maybe they didn't think me as serious because my expression was disconnected from the extreme pain I felt.

I definately have a problem with that. I also have a problem putting my pain on a scale when they ask about your pain on a scale of one to ten.
The last time I was in hospital after the nurse asked me the one to ten question and I couldn't answer she said, "You know if you're not feeling pain you can say 0?" The thing is, I was in pain. I just couldn't plot it. If they gave some examples that I could relate to like 1 being a papercut and 10 being those migraines where you vomit and black out then that would make it easier.
I also tend to sit there quietly and space out instead of complaining.
It is a problem though. We don't get taken seriously.

I feel and look agitated for some time before I'm able to articulate being in pain. So often not taken seriously either.

It takes me a while to register that I have hurt myself, or to accurately express the level of pain I feel.
If its serious and I am aware of that, communicating about it makes me feel like I'm exaggerating, because I know there is a disconnect between the level of pain felt and how seriously I've injured myself... It felt like a bone snapped when I fell, but its not that sore

Its not a good thing, because by the time I can genuinely say I'm in agony the injury has worsened.

Pain, for me, is often a "delayed" response. The only time I feel pain right away is when I stub my toe. Even when I fall, it takes a few minutes for the pain to really register.

The intensity of the pain I feel doesn't become "clear" until I've experienced it for fifteen minutes or so--or perhaps longer.

I don't think this is "abnormal," though. It's the nerves "catching up in time," so to speak

I've felt a decent amount of pain with paper cuts--probably up to a 4 a few times.

I know what you mean.

I once broke my wrist in a basketball game, and the coach insisted I "get back in there!" He thought I was a malingerer, and faking pain.

Fortunately, there was a kid who knew about wrist injuries playing, and saw right away that I had dislocated and broken my wrist.

If there's one thing that I'm NOT, it's a malingerer.