Pain is a Feeling . . . Suffering is a Thought

The Difference between Pain and Suffering

When you stub your toe, you feel pain physically. Suffering, on the other hand, is the mental turmoil that arises when you judge the pain, the situation, or even yourself. For instance, when you blame a sidewalk for your clumsiness or call it stupid, you are only causing more suffering for yourself. The sidewalk is just being a sidewalk and is not trying to hurt you. When you become aware of the difference, you can practice mindfulness to help you remedy pain and discomfort, rather than making it worse by overthinking and causing yourself more suffering.

In Pain? Show Up Anyway!

During a martial arts class a few years ago, I resisted a fall and ended up breaking my tibia. The pain was excruciating, and I was suffering even more by getting tensed up. My teacher came over and reminded me that I had one injury in my leg and didn’t need to make it two by hurting my head with my negative thoughts. He stabilized my leg and took me to the ER. After getting my super-cool space boot, I decided not to attend the next class because I had broken my tibia. However, my teacher advised me not to skip class just because of an injury.

Understanding the difference between pain and suffering is one thing; interrupting the thought patterns that turn one into the other is another. If suffering has become the default response to difficulty in your life, counseling can help you identify what is driving that and build a different relationship with pain. Learn more about Individual Counseling.