95: The Parable of the Pain Scale | How Bearing Witness to Our Children’s Suffering Calibrates Our Pain Scales to an Entirely Different Level w/ Libby Holley

We are often asked to rate our pain on a scale of 1-10 for medical professionals. Sometimes for ourselves, other times for our children. And it is often so hard to know what number to give our pain. In this episode, mom Libby Holley shares how this pain scale can also be used to rate our emotional pain, and the ways it calibrates according to our life experiences. So many of us experience pain on a level we’ve never felt before as we become medical parents. Suddenly, what feels like an 8 for our friend may seem completely trivial—a 2 at best on our own personal pain scale. It can be hard to relate and empathize. Libby offers a perspective shift that allows us to remain connected despite this isolating difference in pain scales. We also discuss the heartbreaking ways we see this exceptional pain tolerance in our children and how important it is to give our pain the gravity it deserves and to seek help. Links: A huge shoutout to our generous sponsor Rifton adaptive equipment! Check out adorable photos of Libby, Lennon, and fam on the website. Follow Libby on Instagram. Follow me on Instagram. Follow the Facebook page. Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions. Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee. Check out our appointment day merch. Check out our affiliate BetterHelp for online licensed therapy.