Suffering can be defined as pain prolonged in time. This pain can be physical, mental or emotional. Physical suffering is associated with physical circumstances and is alleviated as symptoms withdraw. However, mental and emotional suffering can subsist indefinitely, even when the stimulus for pain is gone. Some examples of this kind of suffering are a clinical depression, post traumatic stress, or unresolved grief. For this kind of suffering there are various kinds of solutions:
- Psychological therapy.
- Support groups with people affected by similar suffering.
- Alternative therapies for emotional management (like Ressonance Reppatterning, Reiki, Bach’s flowers, etc.)
It’s important to recognize when pain has becom suffering to be able to take action in the matter and start resolving the emotions and behavioral patterns involved.