Friday, October 2, 2020

Pain

     Most of us would almost rather do anything than have to suffer pain in some form or the other.  We generally have this connotation in our minds that pain is always going to be a bad thing and something very unpleasant for us to have to endure.

     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.

Philosophyrelating 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


THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Some say life can be 'a pain in the neck.'

I have a lower opinion of it!"


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