Psychic pain: A look to its current condition

Abstract

Although pain has been present trough human history and that its assistance is one of the most important activities of health teams, psychic pain hasn't been present properly neither in medical education nor research. In order to assess this topic the author has carried out a review following these two questions: What is the state of the art considering psychological and neurobiological perspectives of psychic pain? and which place is occupying psychic pain in the current assistance of patients? The proposed objectives were: 1) To evaluate historical aspects of pain and its place in human life; 2) To evaluate neurobiological basis of psychic and somatic pain and 3) To reflect about the place psychic pain has currently in Paliative Care Programs. The methodology was the review of current literature published in Medline, Scopus and Scielo considering the following key words: Psychological Pain, Mental Pain and Emotional Pain. Special consideration is given to how this topic has been postponed and the reasons for this situation, considering that the whole experience of pain is psychological, as there may be psychical pain without physical pain but not otherwise. Psychic pain is not less real than other kind of pain; it may be even more severe as to put a person at risk of suicide. Mention is made about the boundaries between physical and psychic pain considering that they are not clear, as they involve similar structures. The role of medical doctors in helping to alleviate pain of patients is addressed.