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Recent advances inbrain research have presented us with enough evidence.

Thank you for yourresponses. I am still trying to sort out where I stand on the issue of pain andthe various ways one can work with it. It’s very helpful to try to tease outsome of this stuff.   

I want to clarify, thatI actually don't make a distinction in this case between physical and emotionalpain. I think that in both cases a better distinction is the one that we raisedin class - the difference between acute and chronic pain.  

I will try to use myselfas an example (with awareness of all the biases that introduces).  5 yearsago I had a hip replacement. The hip replacement was needed because a childhoodinfection had destroyed the head of my femur. Walking had become increasingly painful.Since the replacement, I have had no pain in my hip, but I have developed lowerback pain from walking. While I would certainly be a candidate for painmedication - I choose instead to use the lower back pain to guide myrehabilitation and attempt to make my body work better.  

I don't do this becauseI am a masochist and enjoy pain. I do this because I think the tightness in mylower back is directly related to things that I can change in the way I walk,exercise, stretch, etc, that will improve my life. Generally I think the paincan show me something meaningful in my attempt to get healthier.  

 My own sense isthat things might work similarly in emotional pain. 

Again let me be clear. Iam not against emotional pain medication. But I think that anti-depressants akenover years seem to function more like pain killers than like anti-biotics. Doesthat make them "wrong" or "bad" in my perspective? No.

I just think it’shelpful to examine both the advantages and pitfalls of dealing with chronicemotional and physical pain in this way.