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Physical vs. Mental Pain: Which One Really Hurts?
By Ife Thomas
During one of my dance routines, I attempted a hitch kick – a move that sends your leg soaring high into the air. But as my leg shot up, my supporting leg gave way, resulting in a harrowing crunch. I had just snapped my anterior cruciate ligament. The immediate sensation was a sharp, paralyzing pain, a pain so palpable it was as if the world had momentarily stopped.
Yet, the aftermath was a pain of another kind. Even after the physical damage started mending, the trauma clung to me. Every time I closed my eyes, I would relive that dreadful moment. The sound of my ligament snapping, the feeling of my leg buckling beneath me, the echo of my own gasp – it was all on repeat in my mind, a never-ending loop of anguish.
The physical pain was real, yes. But the emotional and mental fallout? That was almost indescribable. Physical injuries have timelines, predictions. “Give it six weeks,” the doctor might say. But when your mind is wounded, when trauma embeds itself deep within your psyche, there’s no telling how long it might take to heal. If it even heals at all.
Much of the work I dedicate myself to revolves around helping others manage and navigate their minds. Self-awareness is the cornerstone. Before we ask, “What’s wrong with us?”, we should be asking, “What happened to us?”. This sentiment resonated deeply with me while reading “What Happened to You?”, a poignant book co-authored by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Perry. Through understanding, we pave the way to healing.
Yet, the aftermath was a pain of another kind. Even after the physical damage started mending, the trauma clung to me. Every time I closed my eyes, I would relive that dreadful moment. The sound of my ligament snapping, the feeling of my leg buckling beneath me, the echo of my own gasp – it was all on repeat in my mind, a never-ending loop of anguish.
The physical pain was real, yes. But the emotional and mental fallout? That was almost indescribable. Physical injuries have timelines, predictions. “Give it six weeks,” the doctor might say. But when your mind is wounded, when trauma embeds itself deep within your psyche, there’s no telling how long it might take to heal. If it even heals at all.
Much of the work I dedicate myself to revolves around helping others manage and navigate their minds. Self-awareness is the cornerstone. Before we ask, “What’s wrong with us?”, we should be asking, “What happened to us?”. This sentiment resonated deeply with me while reading “What Happened to You?”, a poignant book co-authored by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Perry. Through understanding, we pave the way to healing.
