Some Pains Are Worth Their Price: Discerning the Cause of Pain to Guide Its Alleviation

• Published in: Journal of spirituality in mental health Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 182 - 194
• Main Authors: Peterson, James C., Mutter, Kelvin F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 06-08-2010; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Alleviation; anxiety; Biological and medical sciences; Carers; diagnosis; differentiated treatment; Emotions; fear; grief; guilt; interrelated; Medical sciences; medication; Mental health; Miscellaneous; mood; Pain; Prices; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling; role of pain; shame; Spirituality; Suffering; Treatments; Usefulness; Affect affectivity; Psychological counseling; Indication; Pharmacotherapy; Male; Bipolar disorder; Pain; Adult; Anxiety; Diagnosis; grief; Human; Mood disorder; interrelated; Shame; medication; role of pain; Case study; Fear; Treatment; Clinical management; Mood; Application method; Typology; Guilt; Mourning; differentiated treatment
• ISSN: 1934-9637; 1934-9645
• DOI: 10.1080/19349637.2010.498689

Pain is ubiquitous, and occurs in varying domains including emotional and mental anguish, with intensities that vary from mild to debilitating, and roles such as interpersonal or spiritual distress. The way people and caregivers cope with pain may be adaptive or maladaptive depending on the nature of the pain. We propose a typology of pain that invites reflection on these components in each case in order to discern best alleviation. In our application of the proposed model we consider a range of treatment options practiced by counselors and available to those who are suffering. This multi-perspective approach to treatment informs both our discussion and its usefulness for most practitioners who employ some form of intra-disciplinary integration.