Is it worse to be in physical or psychological pain? Wanna hear your thoughts.

[disgugly]

As for me, i think that a physical pain that is definitely the worst. Some chronic physical pain can be the main source of all your problems. I know, that mental health problems is unpleasant too, but most of it seems manageble unless it's a severe case of something...

 

[FuneralCry]

Pain in every form is something that is unnecessary and serves no purpose other than to torture existing beings and maybe what is worse depends on the severity of the pain. But I do believe that in general, physical pain is way worse, the existence of such a thing is a reason as to why I believe existence could never be worth enduring, as existing in this world always risks the possibility of feeling pain. The ability of existing beings to be able to experience such pain really is a tragedy.

 

[Forever Sleep]

For me personally- I've had more chronic physical pain than I have psychological pain. Gallstones is the worst pain I've had so far. I also think extreme, prolonged physical pain gives you psychological pain with it. Who wouldn't be in turmoil mentally if they were in pain all the time? Still- it likely works in reverse too.

That said- it's kind of unfair for me to vote really because I likely haven't had the intensity of psychological pain that is debhilitating. I expect the worst I've experienced is mild-moderate depression- which obviously hasn't been nice but I honestly didn't know what to do with myself when I had those gallstone attacks.

I feel desperately sorry for people with psychological illness though- because I don't think it is as well diagnosed or acknowledged. At least you (sometimes) get more sympathy with physical pain. Plus- if it's REALLY bad- I reckon you've got more chance of being assisted leaving this shit show.

 

[LunaRory]

I've been in psychological pain so bad, I cut myself just to get a few minutes relief but I still think that physical pain is worse, especially the long lasting or chronic kind. It can be so all-consuming that you can't even finish any thoughts. My psychological pain, though at times unbearable, tends to ebb and flow. Whenever I've been in longer lasting physical pain, e.g. ear infection, it's more like living on a construction side with a pneumonic drill going non-stop, 24/7. You can't hear your own thoughts, you can't distract yourself from it, there's not a minute of relief. It's just torture.

I still have the mental capacity to make plans and prepare for CTB. Not sure that would be the case if I were in as much physical pain as I am in the psychological kind.

 

[LastFlowers]

I've experienced both and still experience both and psychological pain far outweighs the physical for me.
(But in my case, this may also be due to the fact that all of my emotional and mental anguish has absolutely NO breaks and can be sourced from unrelenting and humiliating external, environmental, physical, situational, etc issues. I know exactly where the agony is coming from, I know it's permanent, I know it's progressive and I am excruciatingly aware of the real world consequences outside of my head.)
It's so complex and far reaching and just plain sadistic.
To relate it somewhat figuratively to a physical situation..instead of it being like someone smashing your kneecap with a hammer, it is more akin to someone meticulously and leisurely slipping a jagged sword through every heart of every neuron in your brain, all while laughing maniacally and mockingly atop a hill of rusty weaponry, with no end in sight.

Also for some reason physical discomfort is vastly more unbearable than straight up pain in my experience.
Writhing, twisting, gasping for air…just please bring on pure pain rather than that.

Although it's true that if the physical pain is bad enough, you won't be able to experience many thoughts outside of that, it will reduce your focus to addressing the physical pain and the physical pain alone.
It numbs the mind.
Or in the same sense that psychological pain can bring about physical pain..physical pain can bring about psychological pain, it can also make you go a bit mad.

Oddly enough, during my most severe moments of physical pain, I coped via that strange pause in the psyche.
It was perhaps the most powerful distraction
but unfortunately most of my psychological pain is due to my physical standing and the other things that have happened to it & because of it (some of which are direct causes for the corresponding physical pain) so the distraction quickly morphs into a reminder and then both physical and psychological pain are feeding off one another in an absolute frenzy.

This is probably why I have a much higher tolerance for physical or internal pain that is completely unrelated to my overall situation and reasons for needing to end my suffering.
Otherwise it's all part of the same shit storm.
I am sure others here could probably attest to the fact that both sorts of pain can often end up inseparable from one another.
Both reduce or eliminate necessary functionality.

 

[Szinuus]

I've had mental problems probably for years but I've dealt with it somehow and was a happy person. Chronic physical pain brought me here.

 

[betternever2havbeen]

Physical pain definitely. Thing is I'm so terrified of physical pain from seeing what some of my family have been through (even though I'm lucky enough not to ever have really experienced it myself) that it is causing me great psychological distress.

 

[LunaXCBN]

I personally believe that physical is the worst since that can additionally bring psychological pain with it.

 

[Kalista]

Psychological pain for me is worse. Physical pain is more of an annoyance no matter what level. And they can go hand in hand. The feeling of loss, hopelessness and helplessness is extremely and intensely strong and makes my chest hurt to the point of wanting to rip my heart out just to end the pain.

 

[never mind me]

It depends on the amount and duration of pain. There are various forms of both psychological and physical pain, so I don't feel like I could make a general statement which is worse. Plus there are also various forms of managing and/or (self) medicating some types of physical and psychological pain, so it depends also, if these resources are available. Personally I have suffered much more psychologically than physically in my life, but that doesn't mean anything, because I have barely ever experienced anyserious physical pain.

 

[TapeMachine]

Well, I think the answer is "both".. but it's also relative to each individual's experience, and both types of pain are valid.

My personal experience: I have a lot of psychological pain that causes a fair amount of physical pain as well.

So yeah, I guess I would vote "both" if it were available as an option. :)

 

[LaVieEnRose]

For me they're inextricably connected so it's hard to identify one as being worse.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

I didn't take your poll. Seems choosing one simply invalidates the other. The worst pain, whether psychological or physical, is the one we have to endure ourselves.

 

[wastingpotential]

i think i'd have to say psychological pain. sometimes it gets so bad that it gives you physical symptoms of pain and it only makes you suffer more, sometimes when i'm at my lowest and don't even realize it i'd get terrible migraines that would last weeks on end with no way to get rid of them.
same goes for throwing up and such, but i have a strong stomach and can manage through it mostly

 

[lionetta12]

As for me, i think that a physical pain that is definitely the worst. Some chronic physical pain can be the main source of all your problems. I know, that mental health problems is unpleasant too, but most of it seems manageble unless it's a severe case of something...

Psychological pain is the worst for me after all of the physical and psychological abuse I've experienced. When I feel a lot of physical pain, it actually helps me mentally in some ways such as it strangely makes it easier for me to cut off bad people from my life because the physical pain takes priority and I kind of go into a survivalist state of thinking.

 

[AerialBoundaries]

I'm in no real physical pain, but I think someone who suffers from serious physical ailments is in a much worse place than me. I only suffer mentally, for the most part.

 

[downndone2]

They're both terrible but I'd rather deal with the physical pain to be honest

 

[Rob1984]

Pain in every form is something that is unnecessary and serves no purpose other than to torture existing beings

From an evolutionary standpoint, pain definitely has a purpose that is beyond "to torture existing beings."

Anyway, you wouldn't know what pleasure felt like if you didn't have the contrast of the feeling of pain

 

[The Eeyorish One]

For me I think physical is worse most of the time. Im used to constant mental pain. It's much easier to deal with imo. Mental pain also doesn't spike as high as physical. Like, I get intense stomach pain sometimes, to the point of passing out and even that is worse at its peak than any mental pain I've been in (like when it happens, that's when I most regret not ctbing sooner). I couldn't imagine how bad it would be if I had a broken leg or something. That being said, unless you have something chronic, I think mental pain lasts longer so really it comes down to whether you can take something super intense for briefer periods of time, or something less intense but basically forever.

 

[epic]

It's not possible to answer this question without knowing the specifics of the case. There are so many different physical and mental diseases which vary in intensity and symptoms . Maybe a mild case of depression is more tolerable than last stage of a physical ailment but early stages of a physical ailment might be more tolerable than severe depression.
Option c - More information needed.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

I never experienced any psychological pain, I guess lovesicknes does not count. Physical pain is bitter sweet if you are a masochist.

 

[looking_for_peace]

I had a kidney stone. Psychological pain is worse because there is hardly any relief.

 

[PurpleBlack]

as someone who has recently been in a car accident i can tell you that the concussion was a LOT worse than the broken knee

 

[absc1wy]

For me personally- I've had more chronic physical pain than I have psychological pain. Gallstones is the worst pain I've had so far. I also think extreme, prolonged physical pain gives you psychological pain with it. Who wouldn't be in turmoil mentally if they were in pain all the time? Still- it likely works in reverse too.

That said- it's kind of unfair for me to vote really because I likely haven't had the intensity of psychological pain that is debhilitating. I expect the worst I've experienced is mild-moderate depression- which obviously hasn't been nice but I honestly didn't know what to do with myself when I had those gallstone attacks.

I feel desperately sorry for people with psychological illness though- because I don't think it is as well diagnosed or acknowledged. At least you (sometimes) get more sympathy with physical pain. Plus- if it's REALLY bad- I reckon you've got more chance of being assisted leaving this shit show.

This is how I feel about it too. I feel like it's harder to escape psychological pain while in constant physical pain

 

[Bardo]

As for me, i think that a physical pain that is definitely the worst. Some chronic physical pain can be the main source of all your problems. I know, that mental health problems is unpleasant too, but most of it seems manageble unless it's a severe case of something...

As a person who has intractable pain and immobility that's getting worse, it definitely detracts from quality of life, but at least there are books to read, snarky things to write, music to enjoy. But I've had tremendous psych pain for decades and financial desperation and been the victim of criminals and operators and that was a living effing nightmare that never seemed to end, so I'd probably vote that psych pain might slightly edge out physical pain, (though the latter is hell too). Good question.

 

[novem]

With Physical pain you eventually get huge psychological pain too, so it is probably less pain if it is just psychological

 

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

Can I offer a 3rd option, which is discomfort whether that be physical or mental? Not acute, searing pain, but something like being tired, or having a dull ache that never heals, repulsion of food, being uncomfortable in social encounters, mutism, sciatica, any other type of never ending discomfort that goes on and on and on, with no end in sight.

 

[whatsnext]

Psychological pain is the worst and I've had a handful of kids! With physical pain you know what's caused it, you can take pain relief, rest, see what's going on. Psychological pain invisible, no instant relief, don't feel you deserve to rest, can't see it, don't know if it's realnor not, others don't understand. Trying to figure out what's caused it to control it or stop it next time...may be nothing but you will still try and figure it out. A broken leg after getting run over, you know the cause, you know how to avoid it happening again, it's visible to all that you need to rest and you can take medication to get some relief! You know that the pain will eventually calm down. Psychological pain has no healing time or time scale!

 

[hapiniuier]

I lived with psychological almost all my life so apparently it's manageable. But when physical hits I want to CTB right then and there, can't focus on distractions because there are none.

 

[SuicideDreams]

Well being shot with a 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot, I can say that physical pain takes the cake over psychological. I don't think some people even know what "real" physical pain is. Not a booboo or a cut from a razor.