Brain/body interface

One of the frustrating things about my RA is - I don't even know how to describe it. If you touch the stove your brain yells "Pull Away" and you do. My hands hurt dreadfully and I feel like my brain is yelling "Pull Away!" but of course I can't. Does anyone else suffer from the feeling that you can't possibly hurt this bad without there being an injury? I flinch and look down at my hands but there is nothing to see. I can't pull away.
Has anyone ever run across any research dealing with - whatever the heck this is? I feel like I am going bat crap crazy here.