The word you’re looking for is usually “masochism” – a tendency to enjoy or find satisfaction in your own pain or humiliation, especially but not only in sexual contexts.

What it’s called

  • Masochism : The general term for deriving pleasure from one’s own pain or suffering.
  • Masochist : A person who tends to seek or enjoy that pain.
  • Sadomasochism : When pleasure comes from inflicting and/or receiving pain, often in consensual BDSM settings.

In everyday language, if someone “enjoys pain,” people will usually say they’re a masochist , even outside a sexual context.

Quick Scoop: different flavors of “enjoying pain”

People can “enjoy” pain in a few different ways:

  1. Physical or sexual masochism
    • Enjoying intense sensations (spanking, scratching, impact play) in a consensual sexual context.
 * Often part of BDSM dynamics where limits and safe words are carefully respected.
  1. Non‑sexual enjoyment of pain
    • Some people like the rush or intensity of pain (e.g., hard workouts, very spicy food, tattoos, ice baths), seeing it as challenging rather than negative.
 * Forum discussions mention ideas like being a “dopamine chaser” when someone seeks intense sensations, including pain, for stimulation even when it’s not sexual.
  1. Everyday suffering and “emotional masochism”
    • Sometimes “masochistic” is used casually for patterns like staying in situations that are emotionally painful or humiliating, even though it’s not a clinical label.

Important nuance (and a quick safety note)

Enjoying certain kinds of pain doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong , especially when:

  • It’s consensual ,
  • It’s bounded and safe , and
  • It’s not harming your health or day‑to‑day life.

But if someone is:

  • Using pain to cope with emotional distress,
  • Hurting themselves in secret, or
  • Feeling out of control around urges to be hurt,

then it’s a good idea to talk to a mental health professional, because that can overlap with self‑harm or other underlying issues, even if the person says they “enjoy” it.

Mini FAQ

  1. Is it always sexual?
    No. Masochism is often discussed sexually, but people can also take pride or pleasure in non‑sexual pain (like grueling workouts or endurance challenges).
  1. Is “masochist” an insult?
    It can be used mockingly in casual talk, but in psychology and in kink communities it’s a descriptive term, not automatically negative.
  1. What if I’m just curious about myself?
    Many people explore this topic via reading, talking with partners, or consulting kink‑aware or sex‑positive therapists if they want professional input.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

TL;DR: When someone enjoys pain, the main word is masochism , and the person is called a masochist , whether in sexual contexts or sometimes in broader emotional or lifestyle patterns.