The Difference Between Pain And Suffering, And Why It Matters

In this video clip, Dan Mager discusses the critical differences between pain and suffering, and why it’s so important that those with chronic pain have that conceptual differentiation.
Pain is an inevitable part of the human experience. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to function safely in the world. But acute pain differs from chronic pain in several key areas. Chronic pain may simply persist, like an alarm stuck in the “on” position long after it has served any useful purpose.
Pain often triggers parts of our brain function that deal with threat. Perhaps this is partly why the thoughts and emotions that accompany it are so often fear-based and catastrophic. We tend to think the pain will never end, or that it will invariably continue to intensify. We may feel victimised, and despairing.
An entirely natural response is to these perceptions are to attempt to numb the pain through opioid medications or otherwise escape from it. The problem with all avoidance strategies is that they can come at the price of addiction (in the case of pain meds), but they also inevitably prolong and amplify the pain.
Dan outlines some of the strategies that have helped him and others dealing with pain. Part of interrupting the cycle of physical pain is understanding that our thoughts may not be giving us accurate information about the pain. When we become consciously aware of our thoughts and emotions we can become mindful of the relationship they have to our pain, as well as the fact that we are not defined by our thoughts and emotions.
We can learn to challenge the belief that the pain will never end, that we are helpless, and that we have to run from it. Acceptance of ourselves and the situation (including our pain) lessens anxiety, fear, and stress, and therefore reduces the suffering associated with one’s pain.
There are also practical strategies that we can use to ameliorate pain. Changing our physical position if possible, movement, the application of hot and cold counter stimulus, can all alter our perception of the situation and help us get through that moment, day, or episode of pain in the best shape possible.
Dan has been a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and clinical director in a wide range of behavioural health and substance abuse treatment settings. He has over twenty years worth of post-masters experience of helping others overcome a variety of challenges, and he is also a person in long-term recovery from both chronic pain and addiction. He is now the senior staff writer at Central Recovery Press, a highly-regarded publishing house with a special interest in recovery in all of its forms.
Dan is the author of “Some Assembly Required: A Balanced Approach to Recovery from Addiction and Chronic Pain”. Part of his motivation for writing this unique piece of literature, which is part memoir, part self-help manual, and part clinical exploration, was to pass on his experience of how to find recovery from pain and addiction.
Dan’s book, Some Assembly Required: A Balanced Approach to Recovery from Addiction and Chronic Pain, is available for purchase from the links listed below:
Amazon
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Central Recovery Press
shop.centralre...
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