Other Which do you think is worse- physical pain or emotional pain- and why?

[Phadia]

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Why? Just because I'm bored! Personally, I think "emotional pain" is worse. For physical pain, you have painkillers, band-aids, ice packs etc. Emotional pain can't really be helped. I mean, it depends on the person and situation, but there's no "painkiller" for your feelings. I also have a very high pain threshold, so physical pain is something I, personally, can handle relatively well. I know people, though, who can't handle physical pain at all.


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[LegoLad659]

Emotional pain is certainly less pleasant than physical pain. Though physical pain also has several different levels of hurt that can do different things, from a dull pain being just enough to be annoying, to... Well, a box jellyfish, probably.

Personally, I think "emotional pain" is worse. For physical pain, you have painkillers, band-aids, ice packs etc.

I only partially disagree with your assessment here. While yeah, physical painkillers are easier to get, there are also technically emotional painkillers you can find too. The difference is, you have to search harder for them. There are people who can help you feel better, videos that can give you momentary happiness, etc.

 

[DuchessAdora]

Physical goes away faster than emotional. I'd rather have someone break my arm than my heart.

 

[Phadia]

I only partially disagree with your assessment here. While yeah, physical painkillers are easier to get, there are also technically emotional painkillers you can find too. The difference is, you have to search harder for them. There are people who can help you feel better, videos that can give you momentary happiness, etc.

That's true. I guess what I should have said is that emotional pain is more difficult to treat than physical pain. It's easy to pop back a few Advil or whatever, but when it comes to treating emotional pain, you have to take more steps- steps that a lot people are unwilling to take. People are reluctant to talk about what's really on their minds, and I think that the only real way to treat emotional pain, is to talk about whatever the problem is and have a support to help you through it. Whether that be a mom, dad, sister, brother, BFF, or professional counselor.

 

[LegoLad659]

Physical goes away faster than emotional. I'd rather have someone break my arm than my heart.

This much is very true, too. Physical pain is something you can feel and locate as a specific point in your body, too. Emotional pain, while you can still feel it... You can't really feel where. Which only makes it worse. Because your body doesn't know what to heal to make you feel better.


...I just went full-on philosophy mode without even realizing it xD

 

[Phadia]

Physical goes away faster than emotional. I'd rather have someone break my arm than my heart.

Definitely. Coming from someone who had a shattered elbow (legit story here), and a broken heart, I can safely say that the shattered bone definitely healed faster than the heart. Though, they say time heals all wounds (or whatever), I don't think that emotional pain ever really goes away. It just kinda... fades into the background.


Well, that was a lot more detail than I really wanted to share on the internet. *backs away slowly*

 

[LegoLad659]

That's true. I guess what I should have said is that emotional pain is more difficult to treat than physical pain. It's easy to pop back a few Advil or whatever, but when it comes to treating emotional pain, you have to take more steps- steps that a lot people are unwilling to take. People are reluctant to talk about what's really on their minds, and I think that the only real way to treat emotional pain, is to talk about whatever the problem is and have a support to help you through it. Whether that be a mom, dad, sister, brother, BFF, or professional counselor.

Other people are the only medicine for emotional hurt. Unfortunately, the world is filling itself with dud pills in the form of stupid people :/


Yes, I'm cynical. Sue me.

Definitely. Coming from someone who had a shattered elbow (legit story here), and a broken heart, I can safely say that the shattered bone definitely healed faster than the heart. Though, they say time heals all wounds (or whatever), I don't think that emotional pain ever really goes away. It just kinda... fades into the background.
Well, that was a lot more detail than I really wanted to share on the internet. *backs away slowly*

Going back to my metaphor in an above post, the broken bone healed faster because your body knew where the problem was, what it was, and how to fix it. In the case of a broken heart, it doesn't know any of these things, so it just leaves it alone. The fading into the background is your body getting used to it, much like one might get used to their legs being paralyzed. It's less of a bother to you most of the time, but it's still there and will come back from time to time.

 

[Phadia]

Other people are the only medicine for emotional hurt. Unfortunately, the world is filling itself with dud pills in the form of stupid people :/
Yes, I'm cynical. Sue me

Yeah, what's up with that, anyway? I've heard it before, and I'll repeat it. All we need to do is remove warning labels off of products and the problem will clear up itself. Natural selection all the way. (Yeah, I probably shouldn't have a position of power any time soon lol. Though, I'd make a better president than *insert bad political joke here*)

Going back to my metaphor in an above post, the broken bone healed faster because your body knew where the problem was, what it was, and how to fix it. In the case of a broken heart, it doesn't know any of these things, so it just leaves it alone. The fading into the background is your body getting used to it, much like one might get used to their legs being paralyzed. It's less of a bother to you most of the time, but it's still there and will come back from time to time.

Yup. My brain is finally realizing that... Would say more, but there's no more to be said.

 

[DuchessAdora]

Definitely. Coming from someone who had a shattered elbow (legit story here), and a broken heart, I can safely say that the shattered bone definitely healed faster than the heart. Though, they say time heals all wounds (or whatever), I don't think that emotional pain ever really goes away. It just kinda... fades into the background.
Well, that was a lot more detail than I really wanted to share on the internet. *backs away slowly*

Don't even worry about it~ I've never broken a bone in my body before, but I would probably enjoy it more than being dumped or emotionally unstable or something.

 

[LegoLad659]

Yeah, what's up with that, anyway? I've heard it before, and I'll repeat it. All we need to do is remove warning labels off of products and the problem will clear up itself. Natural selection all the way. (Yeah, I probably shouldn't have a position of power any time soon lol. Though, I'd make a better president than *insert bad political joke here*)

Nah, we can't get rid of the warning labels. All the companies would be sued, despite the fact that they already are. Just more ( )

Yup. My brain is finally realizing that... Would say more, but there's no more to be said.

I could go on if you want xD


It also crossed my mind that some emotional pain can be similar to other incurable types of physical pain. Have you ever watched House M.D.? The main character had surgery on one of his thighs, and has to constantly take painkillers in order for it to not hurt like hell all the time. Some kinds of emotional pain can be like that, too.

 

[Phadia]

Don't even worry about it~ I've never broken a bone in my body before, but I would probably enjoy it more than being dumped or emotionally unstable or something.

You're lucky. *is envious now* I said I had a high pain threshold, but broken bones really do suck. :S

I could go on if you want xD
It also crossed my mind that some emotional pain can be similar to other incurable types of physical pain. Have you ever watched House M.D.? The main character had surgery on one of his thighs, and has to constantly take painkillers in order for it to not hurt like hell all the time. Some kinds of emotional pain can be like that, too.

Good example. That's so true! House is amazing, by the way.

 

[LegoLad659]

Good example. That's so true! House is amazing, by the way.

Unfortunately I never managed to get through a whole lot of it :/ We have the whole series (I'm pretty sure) so it's not like I can't. I just lose motivation to watch a series as it goes on for longer I guess.


But! That's off topic xD Yeah, those are the worst kinds of emotional pain; The ones that stick around for your entire life. The kind of pains that drive people to suicide because they can't take it anymore. I feel really bad for people who've gone through that ( )

 

[Master Jaster]

Emotional pain is the only true pain.

 

[Captifate]

Once you hit your limit with physical pain, you pretty much pass out. While your brain tries to balance the "fight or flight" response with your "rest and digest" response, an injury hampers its ability to manage that. This causes a vasovagal response (or a sudden drop in blood pressure) which means light-headedness (and possibly fainting). Laying down helps increase blood pressure in the brain so it receives more oxygen.


Emotional pain can stay with you for decades depending on how traumatic the experience was, but also your genetic makeup and resilience towards stressful events. Some people are more prone to developing PTSD, for example, than others.

 

[yaint]

i don't know if this is because i've never been heartbroken or whatever but shiiiit maaaaan physical pain owwwwuihwdelaisoubydne. i'd take social rejection over period cramps any day.

 

[DuchessAdora]

i don't know if this is because i've never been heartbroken or whatever but shiiiit maaaaan physical pain owwwwuihwdelaisoubydne. i'd take social rejection over period cramps any day.

Social rejection is one of the worst things. You lose touch with reality, and if you ever get back out into the world, you can't remember how to appropriately interact with others, leading you to become either too aggressive or too hidden in the shadows.

 

[yaint]

i'm gonna have to disagree with you there, darlin'. i suck at socialising and know the sting of rejection all too well (fuck autism), but man, i'd still take it over cramps or a paper cut.


are we 50/50? last i checked the poll we were 50/50.

 

[DemetrioMachete]

A Spinal Tap was the epitomy of physical pain I have felt. It hurt so bad I couldn't move for an hour, because it hurt so bad. (For those curious, I believe a Spinal Tap is where they jam a needle into your spine in order to extract fluids.)


Emotional pain definitely lasts longer and thus, is more agonizing than physical pain.


However, both pains can lead to PTSD.. so they're both bad.

 

[yaint]

isn't ptsd a pain in itself?

 

[DemetrioMachete]

It's a condition that induces emotional pain, I believe.

 

[yaint]

my point exactly.

 

[Ammy]

Gonna break the tie for the moment and vote for physical pain. Emotional pain can usually hurt a person deeper and for a longer period of time but I feel that you as an individual have a greater degree of control in overcoming it. Depression, rejection, anxiety, panic attacks, and the like are all rough but you have the power to defeat them with the right mindset.


Going to ignore maiming and blunt force trauma and instead focus on disease. Had a lung cancer scare a couple years ago that left me in the hospital for six months straight. Turns out it wasn't that but rather a bunch of spores. Fun stuff. I have a pretty high tolerance for physical pain but after so many days in a row of being miserable your body starts to weaken no matter how determined you are to fight. I'm also keeping in mind that in the grander scheme of things there are conditions and circumstances that are infinitely more horrid.


So...yeah. On the extreme end I'd say physical pain is much worse, having dealt with both at one point or another.

 

[Kazu]

I voted for emotional pain, and guess I got it into a tie once more.


I've dealt with severe depression for years now, and it's awful. There were days, upon weeks, upon months were I had to literally hold myself to stop from doing anything rash. It still hasn't gone away, and I wish so much for it to. It's like being tortured in a dark room in your mind, where a mirror version of yourself is doing horrible stuff to you. Help or no help, determination or no determination, I really think emotional pain is much more painful.


The scariest thing that happened to me dealing with physical pain is when I fainted and crashed into concrete. Fortunately, I didn't get any bad injuries but the pain when I woke up a few seconds later was excruciating. It was like being thrown around like a rag doll and I was just so woozy. I recovered quickly though, unlike emotional pain. But all kinds of pain hurts. And it can hurt a LOT.

 

[Enuky]

<p>I predicted everyone would be "team emotional pain", hah, but I kinda think people are just being dramatic. </p>


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With emotional pain you can still exist with it comfortably.... I think if you consider extreme physical pain (like severe burns) and being dumped you'd find being dumped easier to deal with, but maybe that's just me. </p>


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I've never really had any trouble dealing with emotional pain. It's easier to avoid by consuming yourself into something distracting (like RPN) whereas physical pain can't really be distracted from without medication. </p>


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Emotional pain is also mental... whereas certain pains/injuries can cause death. You can argue that emotional pain can in some situations lead to premature death, but you're a lot more likely to die from a physical injury than an emotional one. .</p>

 

[SeaBreezy]

Pain sucks in general because we are biologically designed to avoid it. You step on a piece of glass and your brain instantaneously sends signals to your muscles to flinch away from the source of the pain. So perhaps, in this sense, people say they prefer physical pain because they can 'get away from it' much easier than emotional pain.


On the flip side, our bodies wear down. There are many people who suffer from chronic pain like arthritis, osteoporosis, herniated disks, etc. and they experience physical pain on a daily basis. My mom has gout in her foot, a very painful form of arthritis, and she describes it as feeling like white hot needles being stabbed into her foot. She can barely walk when this condition flares up. Chronic pain can be as frustrating, depressing, and debilitating as some mental disorders can feel.


So, yeah. Emotional and physical pain BOTH suck, and if it's a competition, then they both lose in the end. I personally believe that your mental health goes hand in hand with your physical health - you can't have a healthy mind without a healthy body, and vice versa. I'm a huge advocate for eating healthy and exercising. If you provide your body with the proper nutrition and exercise, you will become healthier and happier.