Suffering and its Relationship to Pain

TLDR

Pain is a complex, multidimensional perception that includes affective and sensory components and functions as a somatically focused negative emotion resembling threat, while suffering is defined as a perceived threat to self‑integrity, helplessness, and exhaustion of coping resources, making pain and suffering share a common negative emotional ground. The study examines central physiological mechanisms of pain, negative emotional arousal, and stress to clarify the physiological basis of suffering and the causal influence of persistent pain and other stressors. Central mechanisms involve limbic processing of aversive stimulation and disruption of the hypothalamo‑pituitary‑adrenocortical axis, leading to biological disequilibrium. Palliative care specialists can proactively and reactively alleviate suffering by aggressively treating chronic pain and symptoms while promoting psychosocial well‑being at every opportunity.

Abstract

Pain is a complex, multidimensional perception with affective as well as sensory features. In part, it is a somatically focused negative emotion resembling perceived threat. Suffering refers to a perceived threat to the integrity of the self, helplessness in the face of that threat, and exhaustion of psychosocial and personal resources for coping. The concepts of pain and suffering therefore share negative emotion as a common ground. Examination of the central physiological mechanisms underlying pain, negative emotional arousal, and stress helps clarify the physiological basis of suffering and the causal influences of persistent pain and other stressors. Central mechanisms involve both limbic processing of aversive stimulation and disturbance of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis with consequent biological disequilibrium. The palliative care specialist can address suffering proactively as well as reactively by treating potentially chronic pain and symptoms aggressively and promoting the psychosocial well-being of the patient at every opportunity.