Pain

Is emotional pain = physical pain? or vice versa?

I read about it earlier learning that both are the same, but didn't agree or disagree with it straightaway. Maybe, I was looking for additional research or proof. Well, I got it yesterday.

I met with an accident yesterday and my left leg is hurt. Physically. A major accident resulting in a serious injury under the wheels of a truck was avoided in split of a second. Ironically, nothing can be seen outside. Not even a scratch on the surface of the skin of my left leg. It's internal pain, a bit of swelling on outside, but pain can be felt. Unable to walk, cross, close or open legs, stress on the leg or use it for support. Apparently, MRI scan showed completely torn ligaments. Now, normal walk is few months away while surgery is required in the coming weeks.

It's still a physical pain although my leg is hurt internally. As this is the situation, it reminded me of a totally disconnected situation. Emotional pain. I was hurt emotionally a while back, and it keeps checking on me from time to time like an unwanted visit from a relative. My usual course of action, feeling, situation, etc. when I was hurt emotionally were totally similar to what I experienced yesterday as physical pain. My thoughts yesterday when my leg was hurt were racing back to same course of action, feeling and situation of when I was hurt emotionally, but I'm hurt physically now. It was like there was no difference between them. I'm shocked!

I read this article a while back. Emotional and Physical pain activate similar brain regions. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/body-sense/201204/emotional-and-physical-pain-activate-similar-brain-regions

As mentioned earlier, I just read, but neither accepted or rejected the claim of this article. But, yesterday's incident got me thinking again. I felt very similar. How is that possible? So, this above article would actually be true. 

Here's another article in TED mentioning the same claim. 

https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-to-take-emotional-pain-as-seriously-as-physical-pain/

So, emotional and physical hurt are the same to your brain. There's no difference. There's research backing up this claim. As physical hurt is much visible, it gets more attention. But, any emotional pain doesn't get same level of attention. And, maybe even ridiculed too. More awareness and support system is required for emotional pain too.

Location: Visakhapatnam, India

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