Emotional and Physical Pain... Pin Prick or Crushing?

Emotional and Physical Pain.............
Pin Prick or Crushing ?

Part of the treatment and healing process for the physical or emotional pain one feels, whether pain on the skin’s surface or a broken heart, might be to convey one’s level of pain to others (1). 

Brainstorming with those who have had similar experiences can provide new insights into how to move forward.  Even talking to one’s self in third person (like an outsider looking in) may provide benefits (2).  

All the while, it is good to reflect on whether or not the ways of communicating are achieving positive rather than negative results.  

It is possible that therapy through communication may aid in a determination of whether some physical pain that is present is a result of untreated emotional pain. There can be strong connections between physical and emotional pain (3). 

In addition, emotional pain, such as the kind stemming from betrayal of a loved one long ago, can be relived more intensely in the mind than compared to reflecting deeply on a painful physical injury (4). 

So, care should be taken when communicating emotional pain to others in a manner and frequency that results in the traumatic event being relived over and over (5). 

If forgiveness of others, or rather lack thereof, is involved, many unsettled negative feelings can surface that are as powerful as those that occurred on the day of the event.  This is not to imply that one should be in isolation from others for long periods of time, because this can be harmful.

Living with hope- we are all in this world together trying to figure out ways to heal from traumatic events that sometimes seem indescribable. 

What a blessing it is when we can find someone out there who we could say to at some point, “you get me,” someone who provides help in comforting and nonjudgmental ways.  
   

Giving of ourselves to others, especially those we can empathize with, can bring the joy back and help us achieve a fuller life ahead (6).

“Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”  Proverbs 11:25

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Matthew 5:7

References:

1.  Goldsmith, Barton, Ph.D, “Talk About Your Problems, Please,” Psychologytoday.com, 3 March 2011.

2.  Moser, Jason and others, “Third Person Self-Talk Facilitates Emotion Regulation without Engaging Cognitive Control; Converging Evidence from ERP and fMRI,” Scientific Reports 7, Article No. 4519 (2017)

3.  Babbel, Suzanne, Ph.D, “The Connections between Emotional Stress, Trauma and Physical Pain,” Psychologytoday.com, 8 April 2010

4.  Chen, Z, and others, “When Hurt Will Not Heal:  Exploring the Capacity to Relive Social and Physical Pain,” Psychological Science, Volume 19, pp. 789-795, August 2008

5.  Perry, Philippa, psychotherapist, “When Talking about Your Problems Actually Makes Them Worse,” The Guardian, 25 September 2014

6.  Appelo, Lisa, “When Helping Others is Healing to Ourselves,” lisaappelo.com, 30 October 2015.

  Written by a guest blogger

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   Diane Davidson Gammon M.S.
         Clinical Mental Health Counselor

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Disclaimer- I am not a doctor and I am not giving out medical advice. My blogs are for information and inspirational purposes. Please consult your doctor before starting a new health regimen.

Diane Davidson Gammon MS is clinically supervised by Michael Loftis LCSW as she pursues  LPC-MHSP licensure