“The more you feel, the more you heal. ”Perhaps this is a confusing statement to some, as many people think that “feeling less” equals feeling better. The latter could be true from a medical point of view where the success of treatment is measured by how much the pain, physical or emotional, can be numbed or eliminated with medication or other interventions.
Pain is an experience that humanity shares across centuries and cultures. It connects us, motivates us, scares us, drives us forward, stops us in our tracks, and is a source of emotional growth and wisdom. While pain is familiar to everybody, the experience and relationship one has to pain is highly individualized. Some people find it comforting while others detest it; for one person, pain may be a source of attention and for another person, it may be a source of shame. Pain is a global topic of conversation; if there is nothing else to say, you can always talk about your pain. The older we get, the more shades of pain we have likely experienced and the more we might have to say about those experiences. But what are we really talking about when we discuss pain?