Physical pain VS Mental pain

[Deleted member 1465]

I've dealt with mental anguish all my life. I used to think it was the worst thing possible. Then recently I started to experience real physical pain due to illness. It's progressive and the pain is getting worse. So for me physical pain is worse. It also isolates you and causes additional mental anguish.
I look back on my days of mental anguish with nostalgia. I know that sounds odd but relentless physical pain that is killing you is way worse to me.
Note that this is me, I wouldn't presume to suggest anyone else should feel the same.

 

[Sweet emotion]

@Sweet emotion What do you say b0ss?

You're asking me if I'd rather switch from the highest form of chronic pain to chonic mental pain? Since I have both, the chronic mental pain due to the chrome if physical pain, I would choose to take chronic mental pain. At least there is help for that. Not that it always works, but nothing works for my physical illness. And when I was 15-17 I had a bad case of OCD and I wanted to die but I found and amazing psychiatrist and therapist and they helped me so much that I don't worry about what I used to worry about anymore. It's never even a thought anymore. But ice is an ongoing battle which feeds on stress and I have a lot of that due to physical pain. So definitely I'd rather not have physical pain.

Mental pain is worse.

With physical pain there is still capacity to connect with others, there is much more care, understanding and support available. There is a valid reason to stay at home, have visitors, etc.

Mental pain by its nature is isolating. One can look entirely normal, it isn't visible to others, it can't be connected to, it's not so understood nor is there anywhere near the same kinds of support available. One is expected to get better, get over it, etc. One is expected to still work towards being a functioning member of society even if they aren't capable of it.

Not necessarily. My physical pain has isolated me for 14 years. And there isn't a lot of support available. And believe it or not I'm still expected to be a part of society even though I can't leave the house.

Mental pain is worse.

With physical pain there is still capacity to connect with others, there is much more care, understanding and support available. There is a valid reason to stay at home, have visitors, etc.

Mental pain by its nature is isolating. One can look entirely normal, it isn't visible to others, it can't be connected to, it's not so understood nor is there anywhere near the same kinds of support available. One is expected to get better, get over it, etc. One is expected to still work towards being a functioning member of society even if they aren't capable of it.

Have you ever had chronic physical pain? Pain that makes you want to die? I've had both.

I would choose physical pain. I have seen so many people with physical problems but they say they are "good" or even "great". Drugs can help with physical pain and not give horrible side effects or withdrawals.

I'm sorry to tell you this but you're wrong with the whole drug thing. And if the pain is bad enough those people are lying to you. All pain medication gets you hooked within the first few days of taking it and idk if you've ever went through withdrawals but you want to die. You get so many side effectsz depression being one of many. I don't know where you got you information on this from.

This is so relatable - to be expected to get better and to get over it. Like it was that simples.

To trust in the meds - fortunately, I never had any serious physical illness but I don't remember any doctors ever telling me this for my small issues.

And also, one is expected to be patient, because "you will be better, you will figure it out, things will get better". MY ASS. The impression I have is everyone including psychiatrists and psychologists and family/friends just want to give you hope, when they seem I have none. But hope isn't a solution for anything.

Ended up venting on the topic lol
Anyway, I have never had any serious physical illness. I have depression and men this is horrible. I think it's very hard to answer. I can only imagine how it would be to live in acute physical pain. I'm inclined to answer I'd rather have the physical illness .. but I think I'm bias to this... so I guess I don't have a definite reliable answer. Hope this counts as an answer though.

Excellent point - physical drugs are way more developed. (Except for some incurable diseases)

I'm glad you said for incurable diseases. I have the highest ranking pain condition in medical history and drugs do shit. There are no cures. See, me being someone who knows a lot about medical conditions knows about all the conditions out there that aren't cursble and that are degenerative and that have no hope. I experience severe depression due to complex regional pain syndrome but if I didn't have cops I wouldn't be depressed. They're both awful. But give me mental pain vs physical pain any day.

I experienced both. Physical pain is Cleary worse. The difference is the duration of the pain. Physical pain usually subside (toothache etc I am not talking about terminal cancer or chronic pain) while mental pain is a constant pain with little to no short term cure/relief.

So don't you mean mental pain is worse?
I'd have to say for those that are saying mental, well you just haven't gotten the right pain disease yet.

Having been exposed to pain management for the last decade, I would say physical pain would be my preference. There is no cap to how much morphine (or equivalent units) the body can tolerate with increased exposure, so there's always more available (to a point). Plus there are spinal cord stimulators, pumps, and so forth. Nerve pain is considerably more troublesome, but there is at least the understanding of what is happening or what caused it. Nerve damage, impingement, diabetes, etc. But mental pain, especially with hallucinations, voices, bpd with no real treatment options, that sounds terrifying.

(I know CRPS and trigeminal pain are horrible. There are exceptions to everything. I'm not minimizing anyone's experience)

I have had crps for 14 years which is a nerve disease that no one knows anything about. Why it happens or how it happens.

 

[Im2high4this]

I appreciate the discussion this post caused. I'm always curious about the psychology of this user base. I also appreciate it has not turned into a argument because it could of easily went that way.

I never listed my own opinion because I wanted to see if this was a conversation we could have without attacking people.

I personally feel physical pain is worse. Physical pain undeniably leads to mental pain as well, so as harsh as as mental pain can be, it's not inherently tied to physical pain. That said, I have to say physical pain is worse. It's much easier for professionals to help with mental pain then physical pain.

Sure, doctors may have no idea how to help your mental problems, but I can't imagine how fucked up I would be if I had to experience physical pain ontop of my mental pain.

A buddy jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge because of a toothache, no other reason. Some people kill themselves Without hesitation because their method pain is laughable compared to their constant physical pain.

I don't want a painful death, but if I was in physical pain all the time, then how is pain going to prevent me from choosing an option. Mental pain, our survival instinct can combat, physical pain throws that SI out the window and makes you realize that your constant pain can be solved by less pain, which is a no brainer to me.

I have mad sympathy for the chronically ill and those going through constant physical pain...because as fucked up as my mental is, i know it would make me much more desperate if it's was physical.

My opinion of course.

 

[Sweet emotion]

We have one known member who is suffering from extreme physical pain. I bet she would switch to constant mental pain in a heart beat.

Are you talking about me?

And my response would be - I would choose physical pain. I have seen so many people with physical problems but they say they are "good" or even "great". Drugs can help with physical pain and not give horrible side effects or withdrawals.

Not everybody that uses painkillers or other drugs get addicted to them.

Try stopping them and see what happens. Maybe if you use them for three days after surgery then you don't get addicted but if you have a condition where you can't deal without them, you're addicted. Many pills that weren't pain pills gave me such depression I cried every day. Headaches nausea, dizziness, hair loss, increased appetite and extreme weight gain where all you eat is lettuce once a day, decaying of the teeth, constipation, mood swings, I mean I can go on. It's important to be educated bbefore speaking and I don't mean that in a sarcastic tone. It's the truth.

 

[Life+me=error]

Are you talking about me?

We have some members who consider mental pain worse than physical pain. I had to lol. Maybe they should hear from you the reality of having constant physical pain.

 

[sleepy dog]

Try stopping them and see what happens.

I did. Maybe don't talk about people like you know what they have been thru.

 

[Sweet emotion]

We have some members who consider mental pain worse than physical pain. I had to lol. Maybe they should hear from you the reality of having constant physical pain.

Thank you so much for thinking of me. But I can understand how everyone's pain is the worst pain in the world and they wouldn't believe me until they felt what I feel.

I did. Maybe don't talk about people like you know what they have been thru.

And maybe you shouldn't either.

 

[sleepy dog]

And maybe you shouldn't either.

Back up what you say. Show a post in this thread where I talk about a specific person like I know what they have been thru.

You did that, not me.