On a scale of 1 to 10....

It is routine for an ER triage nurse to ask what your level of pain is using a scale of one to ten with ten being the worst pain imaginable. Of course, the nurse is referring to physical pain from an injury or acute condition to measure the symptom that brought you to the emergency room in the first place. Thirty minutes after administering pain medication for a broken leg the nurse will ask again how you rate your pain between 1-10. The majority will answer with a lower number because that is how pain medication works. Immediately. Unfortunately, there is no scale for emotional pain. There is also no medication for emotional crisis that brings relief within a half hour. While the patient with the crutches and cast on their leg may be in agony they will not have to hide their pain. A co-worker may bring dinner by or drive them to physical therapy appointments which aids in the healing process because of the comforting feeling of being cared for by family and friends. Emotional pain remains incognito due to the stigma attached to mental illness. Last week I was absent from work due to a migraine and elevated blood pressure. It was true that I had a headache and hypertension but I could not call in and say, "I won't be in today. My depression has flared up which is causing my entire body to be gorilla glued to my bed." There is no meals on wheels for panic attacks or meltdowns even if it was not camouflaged. People are scared of even discussing emotions because that requires getting deep and no one wants that, right? All that negative energy might spill on them and leave a stain. Emotional pain is hidden, misunderstood and most importantly has no scale.

lovelove