16. Ten truths about pain

Rumi once said:

“The cure for pain is in the pain“

He meant that we naturally want to run away from pain because we programmed to do so. It’s all part of our survival instinct.

Do you ever:

Do you avoid something if it will

cause pain, even if it might be helpful?

Is distraction something you or your client does to cope with pain?

Is keeping busy part of your or your clients’ ways to manage pain or traumas?

Here are 10 facts about pain that you might wish to share to help understand it:

The brain can interpret pain but can’t actually feel it.

Tolerance levels of pain are affected by past experiences of pain.

Tolerance can be increased by altering thoughts and beliefs.

Apparently, redheads have a high pain threshold!

Distraction can work in the short-term, but what we resists tends to persist.

Sex relieves pain due to the release of endorphins

Hormonal changes can make you more sensitive to pain than usual.

Pain is different for males and femails, but this might be more linked to how pain is managed rather than the way the brain processes pain.

What you eat can affect pain levels, possibly due to inflammation.

In energy terms, attention and intention (energy flows) can affect pain management outcomes.

Luckily, we can make sense of all this complexity if we befriend pain rather than avoid it.

If you want further support or information about pain management, contact us at www.psychworks.org.uk