The Ethics of Pain Management (Mere Mortals Episode #57 - Pain)

Published: July 5, 2020, 7 a.m.

Where does the responsibility of doctors lie, to reduce short-term pain or to increase the probability of long-term rehabilitation? This is one of the questions Juan and Kyrin ponder in this themed episode of 'Pain'. There can be many types of physical pain (psychogenic, phantom, acute, chronic, etc.,) as well as the addition of emotional pain (i.e,. pain not caused by an unpleasant physical sensation conveyed by sensory neurons).

Some of the others topics we touch upon were: treating pain through bullshit methods (that actually work due to the placebo effect), the worst pain we personally have experienced, whether the world would be a better place with more or less pain and some mental techniques that can be used to take the emotional edge of pain. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!