The Psychology of Pain

There's a parallel between physical pain and emotional pain.

My physical pain is less than that of others with serious issues (auto accident injuries, cancer patients, etc) - mine for the most part is even self-inflicted in some cases. Not because I go out and hurt myself on purpose, but because of the sports activities I take on weekly...

Last night for example - softball game at 9:00 and indoor soccer game at 11:15 (yes - PM!)...

Nursing a bum shoulder, worsening knees and stiff and contorted fingers from multiple injuries over the past 30+ years of playing various sports, I've been asked why I continue to put my body through this.

Simple answer is that I still enjoy it... when you're playing, there is no pain and you're having fun. You play to win - that's what I was taught at an early age. You don't have to be the best athlete on the field, but you have to give 100% and execute. If you do the little things right, you can win.

Last night's soccer game was a struggle for me because my fitness level isn't where it needs to be. We played a better team; faster, stronger, fitter; and we got beat (badly). Every shift I played, I tried to stay just 30 seconds longer, always moving, always trying to contribute. Wound up assisting on a goal so I guess it was OK. That's where you cross the mental/physical line. You start arguing with your body to push more - "get there faster you bastard!" "Block that shot dumb-ass".

Paying for it this morning though. Stiff knees, shoulder sore, limping badly. But it's only temporary. No pain killers, not even aspirin. Work through it. It hurts, but it's not debilitating. It hurts, but I can function. It hurts and it helps me focus on other things.

It's been said that pain is weakness leaving the body. If you have some pain, there's an injury somewhere and that part of your body is weak - work to strengthen it.

The same can be said of the mind - pain, hurt - dig down and figure out what and why. You may have to remove something (or someone) from your life to fix it, to get stronger. In the end, you'll be happier.

Take care of the pain - listen to it, but don't let it run (or ruin) your life. Surround yourself with people who love you and can help (physically and mentally).

People who suffer alone, suffer greatly. People who suffer together share the burden and can help lessen the pain for each other.