Physical suffering relates more to the distress including functional losses or weaknesses within the body which are caused by me. This includes( with physical suffering) such things as loss of mobility which may negatively impact a client’ s or patient’ s daily activities of life. You insult me when you try to claim that“ physical pain” is identical to“ physical suffering.” Knock it off! And oh by the way— make sure when you conduct depositions and when you are in trial that you have medical experts define and explain ME and differentiate ME from physical suffering.
Q. Pain, we understand that you often express yourself by the concept of“ duration.” Tell us about that.
Pain: As“ physical pain” I arrive by“ duration” in two ways:“ acute pain” and“ chronic pain.” When I arrive as acute pain, I am sudden and immediate, and the severity will vary by degree. So when you stub your toe— that is acute pain. It is a big deal, and it is fast, furious, and immediate and can be overwhelming. The good news about acute pain is that it generally goes away sooner rather than later. I also arrive in the form of“ chronic pain” which puts me in a position to be ongoing and recurring for longer periods of time.
Q. Are you related or connected or affiliated in any way with“ mental anguish” or“ mental suffering”?
Pain: Connected or affiliated— yes. Same thing— no. Just as I differ vastly from physical suffering so too ……. You must understand that“ mental pain” and“ mental anguish” and“ mental suffering” are three different and distinct elements of damage requiring unique and varied approaches in terms of proof and argument in litigation and trial. Let me give you an example. Let’ s assume a family is having a holiday weekend cookout. A defective propane tank explodes. A young father who is employed and who is married and has two children is injured. His injuries include loss of a hand. He is a musician performing as a piano player in the city’ s Philharmonics Orchestra. The explosion causes a physical injury which gives birth to me in a huge way— extreme and severe“ physical pain.” The injury including massive tissue damage and blood loss causes immediate weakness and fatigue and other symptoms resulting in“ physical suffering.” Realizing that he will now be living a life without one of his hands and considering his profession. He is immediately overwhelmed with fright, worry, fear, concern and anxiety resulting in both“ mental anguish” and“ mental suffering.” So I suppose you could say that even though I am separate and distinct from each of these other aspects of damage there is some“ affiliation” and there is some overlapping. Try to think of“ mental anguish” and“ mental suffering” as different forms of emotional and psychological and intellectual responses to me, Pain. They can increase my effects or diminish my effects. It is often true that“ mental anguish” can rise to a level that is so severe that it transcends me— physical pain. One then might wonder: Can“ physical pain” exist without“ physical suffering”? and can“ physical suffering” exist without me.
Q. You’ re aware of reports and medical literature that describe those who’ ve lost limbs as having“ phantom pain,” where they perceive discomfort in a part of their body that’ s no longer physically there? Tell me, how is it that you can exist in something that is physically not even there?
Pain: Alas, this is my power. I destroy one’ s will with blanketing force. I bring my vengeance to my victims’ souls and I reign down upon them. Like a mighty military unit, I thrive on tactically enveloping one’ s entire being. I’ m that heavy curtain of fog that rolls in and I will blind you.
Q. We understand that you come in four descriptive ways or that you pride yourself on being described in one of four categories. Walk us through this. Pain: Yes indeed— here we go-
Nociceptive Pain. This is pain caused by damage to body tissues such as muscles or bones or skin or ligaments and it usually feels piercing or sharp or pounding / throbbing or aching and I occur from injuries like a cut or a banging into something or a burn or a broken bone.
Neuropathic Pain. This results from damage to or a malfunction within a patient’ s nervous system itself. Most patients describe it as a tingling, burning, or shooting sensation, commonly seen in conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, sciatica, shingles, spinal cord injuries, and complex regional pain syndrome.