However, did you know that emotional pain hurts more than physical pain? That's right. Pain caused by emotional distress such as rejection, loneliness, guilt, failure etc., is more deeply felt and cause longer-lasting damage to your health and quality of life than that caused by physical injuries.
Emotional pain can often feel as strong as physical pain and at times can even cause symptoms of pain throughout the body. It can also have a detrimental impact on both short-term and long-term mental well-being, so getting appropriate help and treatment is important.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has long been believed to be a disorder that produces the most intense emotional pain and distress in those who have this condition. Studies have shown that borderline patients experience chronic and significant emotional suffering and mental agony.
Although the brain does not process emotional pain and physical pain identically, research on neural pathways suggests there is substantial overlap between the experience of physical and social pain.
Research from 2020 suggests emotional pain activates the same regions of the brain that are associated with physical pain. The experience is very similar to injuring your body.
Feelings and emotions are transient—even the darkest and most painful days don't last forever. But when you're in the throes of grief and trauma, it can be hard to imagine that there are better days in your future.
Sadness is a feeling of emotional pain, often due to loss. Sadness may flood your body with hormones like cortisol. Excess stress hormones in the body can cause physical sensations in your heart and nervous system, like chest pain, itching, or a rapid heart rate.
While psychogenic pain may not have a direct physical cause, this pain is still real. People who have this aren't faking, lying or seeking attention. This pain feels the same — and involves part of the same processes — as pain from an injury or illness.
Borderline personality disorder is one of the most painful mental illnesses since individuals struggling with this disorder are constantly trying to cope with volatile and overwhelming emotions.
Studies have found that the female body has a more intense natural response to painful stimuli, indicating a difference between genders in the way pain systems function. A greater nerve density present in women may cause them to feel pain more intensely than men.
“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.””
Although emotional abuse may not lead to physical injury, studies have found that emotional abuse can be as mentally and psychologically damaging as physical abuse when it comes to mental and behavioral health.
Symptoms of personality disorder are: Moody, Criticizing everyone, Overreacting, Intimidating others, and Dominance over another person. A borderline personality disorder is the hardest to treat.
Pain is both physical and psychological
Neurotransmitters send messages along your spinal cord and up to your brain, saying, “Ouch! That hurts!” Pain, therefore, really is in your head. Or rather, your brain.
Grief can be stored in various parts of the body, such as the heart, lungs, throat, and stomach. People may also experience physical sensations like heaviness in the chest or tightness in the throat when experiencing grief.
Trauma is not physically held in the muscles or bones — instead, the need to protect oneself from perceived threats is stored in the memory and emotional centers of the brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic event(s).
Upper Back = Grief, Sorrow, and Sadness
Unexpressed and unreleased sadness tends to build up within the upper back region. As this area is close to the heart, it is also where emotions connected to heartbreak and loss are stored.
The signs of a broken hearted man vary. When some of them experience heartbreak, they prefer to become loners until they heal from the pain. Others might decide to engage in other activities that keep them distracted until they are over the heartbreak.
If so, then you're probably well aware that this experience is real, and it can really hurt. Well, that feeling has a name: lovesickness.
Bad Effects of Crying on Health
It can lead to fits or can cause acute shortness of breath. For those with severe heart conditions, there can be a cardiac pain. Crying can take a toll on your body if you have certain medical conditions. For most people crying does more good for their body than harm.