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

[Darkover]

both can be has bad as each other i don't think anyone of them comes out on top its all down to the direct experience of an individual

 

[Dolphin55]

I think they are the same; which one you answer will probably depend on which one you've had worse in your life. Personally, I've found psychological way worse, but that's probably because I've never experienced much physical pain. I think the worst thing with any type of pain is when it is continuous; and when it starts to destroy all the things you once found joy in.

 

[theboy]

Psychological pain exceeds physical pain and the worst thing is that it is invisible

 

[leeloosnow]

reminiscent of cold turkey opiate withdrawal which includes both sorts of pain... getting grips on my psychological pain certainly helped offset the physical, but i can't say so in reverse. For example, if someone gets their foot run over by a truck, you'll likely panic, and then both sorts of pain exacerbate each other. i can't think my way out of a smashed foot as well as i can decide not to care about the pain of withdrawal. don't get me wrong it still hurts either way, but one is slightly more manageable. i've experienced a lot of short term physical pain in my life (up to 6months i'd say was the longest) and psychological pain too. as much as 'type of pain' goes hand in hand, the psychological sort has got me down worse. I can wait out most acute physical pain therefore it isn't hopeless. perhaps if i knew what it's like to have a chronic pain illness i'd say differently but yea. the mental sort is most persistent for me.

 

[bluville]

It's hard to say I think it just depends on what your personal life experience is, most people haven't experienced the worse of either types of pain. For me psychological pain is worse, I've experienced physical abuse but I think emotional abuse was worse for me. But I don't think it fair for me to say either one is worse, If I had a chronic disability I'd probably feel differently about that and vice versa for other people.

 

[SuicideDreams]

Psychological pain exceeds physical pain and the worst thing is that it is invisible

That's not true dude. I'm suicidal every day because of my bullet riddled body. I've mastered every mode of my mind but I cannot cope with the physical pain anymore. Anything psychological to me seems like child's play. But can I really even say anything.? Some don't know what a chronic pain ailment is. This came from a failed suicide attempt btw,,, I was supposed to die but made it by minutes.

 

[Beautiful Angel]

Psychological pain can be unbearable especially over a long amount of time and physical pain can be just as bad depending on where and what's causing it I know a lot of people commit suicide because of the pain that they are experiencing and cannot get rid of it

 

[Someone123]

It depends on the intensity of the pain from either source.

 

[llih326]

In the moment, I believe the most intense physical pain likely is worse than the most intense emotional pain. After the moment has passed, I believe there is research that indicates mental pain can be relived more intensely than physical pain memories.

 

[UntilTheLast]

Psychological for me - but I don't think that either one is inherently worse. It just depends on which one's hit you in the face with a bigger hammer in life.

 

[theboy]

That's not true dude. I'm suicidal every day because of my bullet riddled body. I've mastered every mode of my mind but I cannot cope with the physical pain anymore. Anything psychological to me seems like child's play. But can I really even say anything.? Some don't know what a chronic pain ailment is. This came from a failed suicide attempt btw,,, I was supposed to die but made it by minutes.

Damn:(
What happened to you?

 

[Dayrain]

Depends on the day, literally, because Psychosomatic medicine proves it's the same pain after all. Also see the phrase: "Mens sana in corpore sano".

 

[settheory]

Which exactly physical pain and which exactly psychological pain? Some psychological pains are worse some physical pains, some physical pains are worse than some psychological ones. There are different pains, some worse than others. Besides, the distinction between psychological and physical pain is vague and overrated in it's importance.

 

[chloramine]

I don't think they can really be compared one against the other? They're interconnected to an extent and whichever you're experiencing the worst of will be the worse one for you. There are definitely physical pains that go beyond my psychological pain, but there are also psychological pains beyond those physical ones. Overall pain is pain and it's more the scale of pain than the type. I think we currently have more resources for physical pain, but that doesn't help if you can't get access to it or that isn't enough.

 

[PublicDiary0606]

I could deal with physical pain. Apart from my self harming habit, I've been through 3 motorcycle accidents. Road rash, broken bones, head injury, etc. Psychological, to me is tiresome. I'd rather off myself than having any kind of mental illness or trauma.

 

[PrisonBreak]

Chronic physical pain can cause psychological pain so id rather just deal with psychological pain which in most cases is temporary.

 

[emptybox]

Yes, physical pain causes psychological suffering as well. I don't see how these two can be separated. If we simplify, I'd say definitely physical because it's "buy one get another one for free". But a lot depends on a situation: chronic pain is absolutely the worst both physically and psychologically. But if you compare chronic depression and one physically painful accident, some people would say it's better to experience an accident that eventually stopped, than living in never ending mental suffering.

 

[Per Ardua Ad Astra]

I've had trauma — both physical and psychological — all my life 50+ years.
So I understand both POV comments comparing severity/ chronicity.

But (my Medically-induced) CRPS is so excruciating patients have opted for amputation.

I'd rather die than lose my legs / feet — it's now in both + spreading.

But dismissed in my small regional health system as "Psychosomatic" — obvs — due to their Malpractice.

Yet negligence ongoing— zero medical care — despite Specialist diagnosis.

+ despite now — UK Expert proved it to be *Autoimmune* — but zero treatment offered to me.

//

"CRPS is one of the highest pain & inflammatory diseases known carrying a 42/50 in the McGill pain scale, CRPS usually occurs after an injury."

https://www.rarediseaseday.org › cr...

CRPS More than just pain - Rare Disease Day 2023

//

Aka — "The Suicide Disease"

+ the main reason I came here — after 2 failed CTB attempts

+ AZ Vax severely exacerbated CRPS

+ toxic sleep/ anxiety med severely exacerbates CRPS

+ pain meds cause severe adverse reactions with my toxic sleep med — so had to give up pain med

+ blunt force physical traumas by multiple Orthopedists initially exacerbated CRPS

Now too physically disabled , paralyzed, debilitated to CTB + no help / gatekeeper.

I don't know what to do

 

[blanket99]

For me personally since I was 12 or so, I've always had depression at arms length. I'd have days or maybe weeks where I were down, but I'd somehow always spring out of it.

A few years ago, physical pain began to limit what I could do career-wise but popping pills and medication could numb that. No so much anymore, my back and left foot limits me pretty well and I'm still not sure how to steer the boat. That brought on a lot of things outside of pain, including destroying most of my confidence and self-esteem I had and has snowballed since then (including bad decisions of my own)

At the end, it's probably a good bit of both

 

[Citruscine]

As someone who has chronic migraines and BPD, that's a tough one...
The intensity of emotional pain is horrible, but physical pain can be way more unbearable.

 

[Unending]

Psychological pain can get pretty damn bad and I would argue that it can get much worse than most people think. Even then, being someone who has never suffered chronic physical pain, I can only imagine what kind of horrible the extreme side of that would be. I could only assume that physical pain can manifest in some truly hellish ways that I would choose mental suffering over. They both have potential to become really hellish though.

 

[booplesnoot34]

I am always in pain physically and mentally. The mental pain is the true agony.

 

[disgugly]

For me personally since I was 12 or so, I've always had depression at arms length. I'd have days or maybe weeks where I were down, but I'd somehow always spring out of it.

A few years ago, physical pain began to limit what I could do career-wise but popping pills and medication could numb that. No so much anymore, my back and left foot limits me pretty well and I'm still not sure how to steer the boat. That brought on a lot of things outside of pain, including destroying most of my confidence and self-esteem I had and has snowballed since then (including bad decisions of my own)

At the end, it's probably a good bit of both

Yeah, I have a similar situation. Of course, I had experienced some pshychological problems, stress, episodes of depression and anxiety too, but I think it's just the way this life is. Everyone goes through this things at some points of their lives and if they say to you otherwise then they are lying or just not coniscious enough to awknowlege it. But generaly, everything was fine until I got an injury that impacted my ability of doing certain things that I was enjoing before and brought to me a handfull amount of pain that occurs from time to time. Since then I'm not that active and all that. It's absolutely destroyed my confidence and became an unlimited source of the psychologycal stress and insecurities too. I kinda lost any purpose in living, because there are almost no sources of happiness left for me.

 

[Relic]

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.

Exactly.
32 years of headaches, mostly stabbing pain, but also many other types weekly, every week. And now that I'm getting older, all the broken bones are coming to haunt me. There is no escape from this, any relief if very brief, and then it comes back with a vengeance.

Although I can understand the psychological aspect, with all the loss I've been in the middle of. It just makes me someone I am not. All I have left of my character is empathy, as this has been maybe my strongest virtue, but then again, I can't express myself. My deepest regret are the words not told to people I care about. Because it should take very little effort, yet I'm no better than a shadow on the wall. So, what's left is grief. And it is only amplified by the physical, so no escape there either.

 

[mafuyu]

I've been in very severe forms of both.

Easy, physical pain. Fuuuuck that. Plus, where I live, it's hard to get decent pain medicine. I've just been in agonizing pain before with no help. Much more visceral than the deepest darkest depression.

 

[VioletNight]

Physical pain can cause psychological pain and the reverse can be true too. For me personally though the psychological pain I feel far exceeds most physical pain I've ever felt.

 

[Ah.ow]

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.

can I ask your experiences with mutism?

 

[22yrsandnowshesgone]

so ive had numerous surgeries , i have been hit by a truck , i have been stabbed ,i have been jumped by over ten people . Physical pain hurts , yet im 43 now and divorcing my wife of 22 years , i can tell u for 2 years we ve had problems , the massive amount of pain i have now , has left me without being able to experience joy ,pleasure. i feel like im floating , i read its called feeling detacheed. I can no longer believe anything will change for the better . I am here still because i have 2 daughters and i still love my wife , if i ctb then they will feel so so bad . this causes me more pain . I can tell you that i have had an eventful life , i am not what ,most would consider suicidal . I look like i have or had everything. I was respected , people still crazy stories about my exploits as a younger man . Yet i can tell you without doubt , physical pain , Showed me how great life was , it reassured me that good times come and go , but life is to be lived. Yet the pain of my wife wanting divorce has ended everything . I cannot roll over or take more pain meds to get away from pain . I am just stuck . Truly mental anguish is way worse.

 

[DefinitelyReady]

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.

I had gallstones too. I guess they were "shadowed" enough on my ultrasound that they were worthy of removing my gallbladder. The main symptom (Although something else unknown is contributing.) was the regurgitating everything I ate or drank, and I mean EVERYTHING. What were your your symptoms?? Other than that I didn't have the stomach pains and stuff. But these Gerd "attacks" were likely attributed to the gallstones. I've never had physical pain really, but THAT was the worst thing ever. So weird that you chose the word "attacks" because that's what I called them. They were so bad I remember where I was and what I did when they happened. Did you have yours taken out?

 

[Forever Sleep]

I had gallstones too. I guess they were "shadowed" enough on my ultrasound that they were worthy of removing my gallbladder. The main symptom (Although something else unknown is contributing.) was the regurgitating everything I ate or drank, and I mean EVERYTHING. What were your your symptoms?? Other than that I didn't have the stomach pains and stuff. But these Gerd "attacks" were likely attributed to the gallstones. I've never had physical pain really, but THAT was the worst thing ever. So weird that you chose the word "attacks" because that's what I called them. They were so bad I remember where I was and what I did when they happened. Did you have yours taken out?

Interesting. I didn't get any regurgitating. Although, that sounds terrible. Mine was a terrific cramping feeling in the chest. Literally like the pain you get when you get it in your leg or toe or whatever but around the diaphragm area. The pain was debilitating for me. I wouldn't know what to do with myself until it passed. Around 30 mins of intense pain if I ate literally anything with fat in. A sweet set it off once! Then, the aftermath would leave pain in the right side and lower shoulder blades and the next day, I'd feel like I'd been kicked in the stomach.

The first time I had it, I thought it was a heart attack. I was so pissed off when I didn't die.

But yes, they eventually did an ERCP (endoscopy type procedure) to remove the stone- which had travelled into the bile duct by then. The nurse said they sucked out a bunch of sludge too. Sorry- rather graphic! Then, they did keyhole to remove the gall bladder.

I'm so grateful that I only really get twinges now and then. I feel super sluggish if I eat food with a lot of oil in but, nothing like before. How about you? Have you made a full recovery? I hope so.

Yes, I think 'attacks' is the best word. It was actually so horrible. I could feel them coming on and each time, I'd be hoping so much that it wouldn't be a full blown attack. Most of the time it was though. I was pretty lucky I only really had a mini one at work. The rest were at home but it was an awful period. I was so scared to eat. How about you?