Pain

 

   I have learned a few things about pain over the years. 

• Pain is an intensely personal experience. If you and I both have the same injury, does it hurt the same for you as for me? Probably not. 
• If a person is depressed or anxious, they will perceive pain worse. This is important. Many people suffer from varying degrees of depression and anxiety.
• If a person understands where the pain is coming from and that it will have an end, they will find the pain more tolerable. The classic example given for this is the pain of childbirth. They say it's horrible but women come through it just fine and are thrilled with the end result -- a beautiful new baby. The other side of that coin is pain from cancer which may be harder to bear because it may have no end other than death.
• It's impossible to describe pain. No one does it well. Poets write about the experience of being in love. They do not write about the experience of being in pain and it's not just because it's a major downer to write about. Pain just can't be described.
• There is no machine in any doctor's office that measures pain. 
• My pain is awful and require immediate attention. Your pain is subjective. You say you're in pain but how do I know? Maybe you're lying because you're lazy and want a government check.
• Rating pain on a one to ten scale is preposterous. Patients learn to give conventional answers when they're asked to do this but it's a ridiculous exercise.
  

If you're in NC and want help with your Social Security disability claim, call Hall & Rouse, P.C. at 1-866-425-5347