Emotional Pain: From the Prisoner to the Powerful

Pain Tells You Something

Susan is a three-year-old who feels no pain. Stubbed toes bring no tears, and hot stoves bring no fear. Because of a condition called congenital insensitivity to pain, Susan is completely incapable of feeling any physical pain and seems almost unstoppable.¹

Except, Susan is not likely to live to see her 5th birthday.

Because she can’t feel pain, she also can’t feel when something is causing damage to her body. Pain, as it turns out, isn’t just a part of life but is also helpful and necessary to keep us safe from things that might cause harm.

Yet, how many of us have wished at one point or another to be like Susan—to escape from the bodies we live in, or even better, to escape from our emotional pain? As one person posted online, “I wish I could turn my brain off and not have to think or feel any pain.”

Just as physical pain is a signal from your body that something needs your attention, I’ve learned that emotional pain tells us, “Hey, pay attention, something important is happening here.” When you look to see what is causing your emotional pain, you may often find your mind sees potential danger to one of your values.^2,3

For example, Ashley recently experienced betrayal in a relationship. Her initial reaction to her pain might be to avoid all relationships and trust no one. However, Ashley feels pain because she values loving, trusting relationships. If she were to avoid relationships altogether, she would ultimately miss out on what matters most to her.

The key, then, is not to try and care less about what causes you pain but to use your pain to discover what you value most. And when you have, your pain becomes your power: your values can be your anchors for important decisions that lead to the life you truly desire.

What message might the universe be trying to send you about what you value? Take a look at these common values and pick out the ones that matter most to you (feel free to add your own). Is there one that your mind is trying to protect by signaling pain?

As you grow and have experiences you may find yourself adding new values or shifting to values you didn’t originally have. This is a natural part of the journey and can be used to discover more about your authentic self.

Whatever pain you might be experiencing (now or in the future), know it’s okay to feel, and it’s okay to hurt. Use your pain to make life what you wish it to be by aligning your decisions with your values. As a survivor, you are strong, you are capable, and you can find power despite your pain.