Pain and emotion
Experiencing pain isn't only detecting damage — attention, mood and the meaning you give it all shape it.
What we know
The same brain networks are involved in physical and social pain. Chronic pain is often maintained even after an injury has healed, because the processing of the signal has changed.
What this means
That pain isn’t imaginary when it has no clear physical cause. And that working with stress, sleep and fear of movement really can reduce it.
See also
Boundaries
The line that says what is acceptable to you — and what you will do if it isn't respected.
Avoidance
Retreating from what triggers distress — the fastest relief and the most reliable way of making sure the distress stays.
Loneliness
A sense of disconnection that doesn't depend on how many people are around you.
