Feeling pain is something that no one likes, being something unpleasant despite having an evolutionary adaptive origin and function. Probably when we think about pain we think about physical pain, wounds or illnesses.
But there is also another type of pain, which we have all felt at some point and which causes us great suffering: the emotional pain that our experiences or the lack of these can cause us It is about this last type of pain that we are going to talk about throughout this article.
Emotional pain: what is it and what are its causes?
Although it is not something unknown to anyone, we call emotional pain any sensation of suffering or suffering generated on a psychological level without a physical reason for its appearance. The causes of emotional pain are purely mental, and generally refer to the experience of some type of aversive experience (its origin being generally environmental).
There is a practically unlimited number of situations that can cause this discomfort. Some examples that usually generate this type of pain are breakups and love disappointments serious fights and conflicts with loved ones, the loss of abilities, the appearance of a serious, chronic or even terminal illness or the death of people we love.
As with physical pain, emotional pain is to a certain extent functional and adaptive: it allows us to avoid painful situations or seek protection from aversive events. However It stops being so when it becomes prolonged suffering over time or permanent or exceeds personal capabilities and/or resources.
Can cause physical alterations
Emotional pain is a type of illness that is suffered on a psychological level, not appearing due to the presence of a medical illness (or at least not as a direct effect of the illness) or any damaged or injured tissue or organ. However, the truth is that emotional and physical pain are linked, and the former can cause problems at a physiological level: it is possible that we come to somatize our emotional suffering
Somatizing is expressing through the body the discomfort of suffering originating at a psychological level, and symptoms may appear in the form of pain experienced as physical in different parts of the body. This pain does not have an organic cause, or if there is a real disease, it is not the cause of the pain or it should not be as intense as what is experienced. Yes, the pain It is not unreal or fake but it is actually perceived.
Some of the different discomforts that emotional pain can cause are the presence of back pain, vomiting and diarrhea, feverish episodes, headaches and dizziness. Gastric problems or sexual dysfunctions such as erectile dysfunction or loss of libido may also appear. In very extreme cases it could even cause blockages in basic functions such as speech or movement, and even lose the sensitivity of some limb.
The emotional pain and suffering it generates are, as we have said, adaptive in principle. We must allow ourselves to feel it, and not avoid it or hide it, valuing it as something that can be very natural as a response to a given situation. If someone we love dies or decides to end their relationship with us, it is logical and normal to have a high level of suffering, a sad mood and a decrease in energy levels and the desire to do things. However, the passage of time and the arrival of new experiences will help us little by little to manage our pain and let’s get ahead, overcome it
It will be when we cannot manage it, it limits our life to a great extent or we are unable to adapt to the new situation in which some type of action will be necessary or resort to some type of professional help.
The first thing is recognize the existence of emotional pain, validate it and keep in mind that each painful experience involves a more or less prolonged process to overcome. It will also be necessary to identify the emotions that generate suffering and the events that have caused them, if they are not already known.
After that, we must allow these to be expressed and flow, trying to learn to modify them or even introduce experiences that generate emotions incompatible with suffering. The search for alternatives and solutions to the reasons for suffering, or experimenting with new experiences can be of great help to us in overcoming pain.
An aspect to keep in mind in case of somatization: although it is possible to work on and even successfully treat the resulting physical symptoms, a complete recovery will not be possible unless the cause of the emotional pain is treated, since it will probably reappear.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
