Nobody wants to feel pain – unless they are masochists. Whether physical or emotional, pain is an annoying sensation that we want to eradicate as quickly as possible in order to regain our balance and feel good again. However, as uncomfortable as it may be, sometimes we cannot escape its influence. In such cases, when we feel bad, it is worth remembering the function and benefits of pain.
Pain not only alerts us, it also protects us
Pain can come in many forms. Sometimes it is light and barely noticeable, but other times it can be really intense. It can be concentrated in one spot in the body or it can flood our soul, practically taking away our psychological oxygen. However, it is important to understand the function of pain.
On a physical level, pain performs an important task: protecting us. In fact, it is a system of nervous signals that originates in damaged tissues, organs or areas and travels to the brain to tell us that something is wrong and warn us that we must take action.
This natural mechanism triggers different reflexes and reactions to alert us to danger. A muscle contracture, for example, would prevent us from using a damaged joint. However, researchers at Harvard University have found that pain is not only a sign of discomfort to get us to pay attention, but it also has a protective function.
Pain nerves in the gut of animals regulate the production of “protective mucus,” but during states of inflammation and pain they stimulate intestinal cells to release more of it. The scientists found that animals in which this natural mechanism worked better responded more intensely to pain and did not develop dysbiosis. This means that pain stimulates the body’s protective resources.
On an emotional level, pain also serves a dual function. On the one hand, it alerts us that something is harming us and, on the other, it pushes us to protect ourselves from what affects us. In fact, pain provokes fear and anxiety to activate escape, avoidance and other types of adaptive behaviors that are essential for our survival.
It is no coincidence that many of the areas of the brain related to pain processing are also responsible for processing negative emotions. This means that emotional or physical pain fulfills an important mission in our lives: to alert us and protect us, so even though it is unpleasant, we should not see it as our enemy.
The 3 benefits of emotional and physical pain that you should remember when you don’t feel well
When you’re suffering, you may feel like you’re living in a parallel dimension. You move forward because you have to, but everything is infinitely more difficult. Time passes more slowly and everything becomes grey. It’s like life is going uphill. However, in the midst of all this, it’s possible to continue learning and growing, even if you don’t realise it at first.
1. Strengthen relationships that are truly worth it
Pain leaves you in a vulnerable position, so you are likely to need someone’s help and closeness. Then you discover who your true friends are, those people who stay by your side. When difficult times come, you discover who stays to support and help you and who, on the other hand, walks away.
Finding out that people you once relied on are no longer part of your support network can be disappointing, but the experience will allow you to see your relationships in their true light. You’ll also be more likely to notice the wonderful people who stick around to support you, so you can put more energy into cultivating those relationships that are truly worthwhile.
From that perspective, a painful experience can serve to take the blindfold off your eyes. It will also help you become a more empathetic person , someone kinder, more sensitive and committed to those who really matter, since you are more aware of the importance of that support network.
2. You learn to put things into perspective and give each thing the place it deserves
One of the most unexpected “gifts” of pain is that it brings clarity to life. When you feel good, the small worries and setbacks of everyday life swallow you up. You worry about everything, you feel like nothing is enough, and you think about insignificant decisions a thousand times. However, pain has the power to put everything in its place.
Grief has a way of reordering priorities so that you suddenly realize how insignificant those little worries were. Of course, it’s not that the problems go away, it’s just that the little things lose relevance and you learn to distinguish between what deserves your attention and what is neither urgent nor significant.
By focusing on what is essential, pointless arguments are likely to disappear or trivial problems that consumed your time and energy are likely to be buried in oblivion. Pain makes all that take a backseat. This way you learn to focus your attention on what really matters and makes a difference, so when you get out of that painful situation, you will be able to face life with a more balanced and serene attitude, without so much useless stress.
3. It makes you more resilient and self-confident
Pain connects you with the rawest and most real part of life. When you go through a difficult experience, you begin to understand that not everything is a bed of roses and you value the positive moments more. In fact, pain acts as one of the toughest and most effective “coaches” in life.
In the midst of suffering, when everything seems to be falling apart, a capacity emerges that you didn’t know you had: resilience. These situations force you to find strength where there is none to keep going and, although it can be a very hard experience, it also shows you that you have an enormous capacity to adapt, recover and continue, even when you thought you couldn’t go on.
Although at first pain can be paralyzing and everything seems too overwhelming, too complicated, too much of everything, when you start taking control over the little things and taking small steps, you develop self-efficacy. You learn that no matter how difficult it is, you can deal with whatever comes. You learn that you can fall, but you also have the strength to get up. In the long run, this builds great self-confidence, which will prepare you to face other adverse situations in life.
When pain begins to dissipate, you realize that you have changed. The “self” that entered the storm is not the same “self” that emerges from it. You now have more tools, more confidence in your inner resources, and more faith in your ability to adapt. This transformation does not happen overnight, and it is often a thorny path, but it is likely that when you look back on it, you will realize that pain, although uncomfortable and bitter, made you stronger.
References:
Yang, D. et. Al. (2022) Nociceptor neurons direct goblet cells via a CGRP-RAMP1 axis to drive mucus production and gut barrier protection. Cell; 185(22): 4190-4205.
Li, W. et. Al. (2020) Pain Modulates Responses to Emotional Stimuli. Front. Psychol.; 11: 10.3389.
Becker, S. et. Al. (2018) Emotional and Motivational Pain Processing: Current State of Knowledge and Perspectives in Translational Research. Pain Res Manag; 5457870.
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