5DifferencesbetweenPhysical& EmotionalWounds

The feelings of physical and emotional pain come from the same parts of the brain, but why do we react differently when we see a person in physical versus emotional distress? One type of wound is not more important than another. Open your mind and think about some of the differences between physical wounds and emotional wounds.

1Visibility

Just because you don’t see the wound doesn’t mean a person isn’t hurting. We can see a broken bone. Someone dealing with an emotional wound may be seen as ‘moody’ or as being ‘difficult.’ We don’t see a person’s internal struggle on the outside.

2Compassion

Being mindful that every person you meet has some emotional wounds. Put yourself in the shoes of someone dealing with an emotional wound. Maybe you feel uncomfortable so you try to offer advice such as ‘Shake it off. You just need to get out and socialize more.’ Instead, how about ‘I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Do you want to talk about it?’

3Healing Time

Sorry, emotional bandages don’t actually exist. You may wear a cast for 3 weeks, have physical therapy for a month and be back to ‘normal’ functioning. A lot of emotional wounds are complex, and as they’re addressed, more wounds can be discovered.

4The Experience

It can be difficult to understand ‘why.’ Sometimes there is no identifiable ‘cause’ for an emotional wound and the first symptoms tend to be written off because they are not physical. It can be difficult to talk about the wound, and you may not want to.

5Long-term Impact

Some scars don’t fade over time - some get darker. The long term impact of emotional wounds can be life long and progressive.

?Many times, physical and emotional wounds run hand-in-hand. Physical injuries can be traumatic and may perpetuate emotional injuries and vice-versa, but the hope of this article is to cause us to stop and think about emotional health and pay attention to it - to be open to it, and to understand it a little better.