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Pain: What it is and is not
Throughout my career as a pain specialist and nurse, I have heard people share about their pain, and one thing that always upsets me is to hear someone say they felt their pain was a punishment for some reason. So I began to think about this.
Pain in any of its many facets is an indicator of distress. This might be in the form of physical injury, emotional suffering, social isolation, or spiritual weakness. It might be experienced in several ways at any given time.
Pain, in and of itself, is not a form of punishment. Now, if you are into some type of mischief and that leads to injury or illness then pain may be a consequence of your behavior. However, painful conditions are not deliberate punishment for something thought, said, and/or done.
Adding guilt on top of painful conditions does nothing to help the pain and most often it can make pain worse because the body uses up its coping energy dealing with the guilt people place on themselves.
It is important to understand that the nature and intensity of pain is not a reliable indicator of the seriousness of a condition. People in severe pain may be suffering greatly, but it doesn't mean they have a life-threatening condition. On the other hand, some folks can have a life-threatening disease and not have much pain until they reach advanced stages of the disease. Therefore, it is important to be seen and evaluated whenever you develop new symptoms that don't subside promptly with basic measures. It is as important to be seen and evaluated when you notice significant changes in the nature of existing conditions. If for no other reason than to rule out significant problems. Knowing what is going on is vital to the determination of appropriate treatment.
Related Topics: Back Pain: Medication and Addiction, People in Pain Often Suffer Silently
Technorati Tags: pain, chronic pain, pain management
Pain in any of its many facets is an indicator of distress. This might be in the form of physical injury, emotional suffering, social isolation, or spiritual weakness. It might be experienced in several ways at any given time.
Pain, in and of itself, is not a form of punishment. Now, if you are into some type of mischief and that leads to injury or illness then pain may be a consequence of your behavior. However, painful conditions are not deliberate punishment for something thought, said, and/or done.
Adding guilt on top of painful conditions does nothing to help the pain and most often it can make pain worse because the body uses up its coping energy dealing with the guilt people place on themselves.
It is important to understand that the nature and intensity of pain is not a reliable indicator of the seriousness of a condition. People in severe pain may be suffering greatly, but it doesn't mean they have a life-threatening condition. On the other hand, some folks can have a life-threatening disease and not have much pain until they reach advanced stages of the disease. Therefore, it is important to be seen and evaluated whenever you develop new symptoms that don't subside promptly with basic measures. It is as important to be seen and evaluated when you notice significant changes in the nature of existing conditions. If for no other reason than to rule out significant problems. Knowing what is going on is vital to the determination of appropriate treatment.
Related Topics: Back Pain: Medication and Addiction, People in Pain Often Suffer Silently
Technorati Tags: pain, chronic pain, pain management
