Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or
potential damage, or described in terms of such damage.
Pain is subjective and highly individualized.
Its stimulus is physical and/or mental in nature. It interferes with personal relationships and influences the meaning of life. Only the patient knows whether pain is present and how the experience feels. May not be directly proportional to amount of tissue injury
Acute vs. chronic (daily for > 6 months) Malignant (indicating injury) or benign (harmless) Continuous or episodic
EVIDENCES OF PAIN
Psychological pain or mental pain is an unpleasant feeling (a suffering) of a
psychological, non-physical, origin. A pioneer in the field of suicidology, described it as "how much you hurt as a human being. It is mental suffering; mental torment." There is no shortage in the many ways psychological pain is referred to, and using a different word usually reflects an emphasis on a particular aspect of mind life. Technical terms include algopsychalia andpsychalgia, but it may also be called mental pain, emotional pain, psychic pain, social pain, spiritual or soul pain, or suffering. While these clearly are not equivalent terms, one systematic comparison of theories and models of psychological pain, psychic pain, emotional pain, and suffering concluded that each describe the same profoundly unpleasant feeling. Psychological pain is believed to be an inescapable aspect of human existence. There are several ways to categorize pain. One is to separate it into acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain typically comes on suddenly and has a limited duration. It's frequently caused by damage to tissue such as bone, muscle, or organs, and the onset is often accompanied by anxiety or emotional distress. Chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain and is generally somewhat resistant to medical treatment. It's usually associated with a long-term illness, such as osteoarthritis. In some cases, such as with fibromyalgia, it's one of the defining characteristic of the disease. Chronic pain can be the result of damaged tissue, but very often is attributable to nerve damage. Both acute and chronic pain can be debilitating, and both can affect and be affected by a person's state of mind. But the nature of chronic pain -- the fact that it's ongoing and in some cases seems almost constant -- makes the person who has it more susceptible to psychological consequences such as depression and anxiety. At the same time, psychological distress can amplify the pain.