Let’s begin by looking at pain from that
physical aspect that we usually think of when the topic is brought up. According to healthline.com (https://www.healthline.com/health/pain#:~:text=Pain%20is%20a%20general%20term,stinging%2C%20sore%2C%20and%20pinching
) “Pain is a general term that describes uncomfortable sensations in the
body. It stems from activation of the
nervous system. Pain can range from annoying to debilitating, and it can feel
like a sharp stabbing or a dull ache.
Pain can be consistent, can start and stop frequently, or can appear
only under some conditions. People
respond to pain differently. Some people
have a high tolerance for pain, while others have a low tolerance. For this reason, pain is highly subjective.”
What does it mean
that “pain is highly subjective?” According
to one dictionary the meaning is quite varied: “existing in the mind;
belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought (opposed
to objective).
pertaining to or
characteristic of an individual; personal; individual:
a subjective
evaluation.
placing excessive
emphasis on one's own moods, attitudes, opinions, etc.; unduly egocentric.
Philosophy. relating to or of the nature of an object as it is known in the mind
as distinct from a thing in itself.
relating to properties or specific conditions of the
mind as distinguished from general or universal experience.
pertaining to the
subject or substance in which attributes inhere; essential.”
There are
groups of individuals who are convinced that you can control your pain by your
mind. In an article posted by
talkspace.com (https://www.talkspace.com/blog/pain-management-mind-control/
) it was stated: “Christine
Tolman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and Talkspace therapist
based in Idaho. She explains: “There is a great deal of evidence that suggests
we can control our pain level with our thoughts. How we view our pain and how
it impacts our everyday life can alter the way that it impacts us.”” The article added: “It’s first worth noting
that not all kinds of pain
can be tackled with our minds. Acute pain and chronic pain can, however, be
addressed with your thoughts, Tolman says.”
We should also
remember that pain can be a good thing for us.
It can alert us to the fact that something is not right within our
bodies. It helps us to realize that we
are perhaps in need of some type of medical attention. Of course, if you’re like me, I hate sitting
in the doctors’ office and they start asking you, “How would you describe the
pain on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain and 10 being excruciating
pain.” I find myself never really
knowing how to answer that question.
At times we must remember
that our pain is not physical, but could be mental or emotional in nature. Some have admitted that this type of pain can
be very difficult to deal with, the primary reason being highlighted by an
article on medicalexpress.com (https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mental-pain.html
): “Mental pain is no less real than other types of pain related
to parts of the body, but does not seem to get adequate attention. A major
problem is the lack of agreement about its distinctive features, conceptualization and operational definition.”
Many deal with the day-to-day pressures of
this world and suffer from depression or simply mental fatigue. I’ve at times equated this feeling with just “not
wanting to put up with it anymore!” Sadly,
many have this feeling to an extreme degree and no longer want to live the life
they are currently dealing with.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
) ‘Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United
States. In 2018 48,344 Americans died by
suicide and there were an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts.”
Regardless of the
causes for these types of pain and not withstanding various attempts to deal
with them, there is a real hope for the future.
At Revelation 21:4 we are told “And he [God] will wipe out every tear
from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor
PAIN be anymore. The
former things have passed away.”
We can have true
confidence that what God has promised will come to pass in His appointed
time. However, until then, we must deal
with the pains in our lives the best that we can and rely upon Him for
assistance. The big problem is that we’re
only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
"Some say life can be 'a pain in the neck.'
I have a lower opinion of it!"
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