Readers response: What's a pain you can't truly explain until you've endured it?
When it comes to experiencing pain, many of us are used to hearing people say "I know how you feel" while they're empathising with your suffering.
However, there are some kinds of pain - either physical or emotional - that cannot be understood until you experience them yourself.
We asked our readers what pain you can't truly explain until you've endured it yourself, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said.
Anne Hare - Shingles! Absolutely excruciating. I seriously considered topping myself until I was finally prescribed Lyrica. Took five months to recover as misdiagnosed twice so antivirals prescribed too late. Have the shot!
Karen Ambrose - Childbirth. 15.5 hours of agony.
Annette Maree - Pain from a dying nerve in a tooth.
Royce Jowett - The worst pain is always the one you are currently experiencing, especially as you get older and forgetful.
Julia Santos - Hip pain is hard to explain how it affects your whole day. Even trying to sleep is an adventure. And sneezing while your hips are inflamed is always fun.
Betty Weller Edwards - Gallbladder stones. I would rather go through labor for 12 hours than have 4 hours off gallbladder pain.
Sandra Morris - The loss of your child.
Kevin Chapman - Chronic arthritis. The pain is 24/7, it never goes away.
Danny Bennett - Divorce.
Patricia White - Dislocated shoulder.
Jill Harker - A couple of bulging discs in my back!
Linda Charlton - Clot in the lungs, couldn't breathe thought I was having a heart attack in my 30's. Other than that, definitely childbirth.
George Dworcowyi - Back spasms after a 7 hour operation on my broken spine.
Maxine Cuevas - Losing two adult children at separate times.
Josephine Broughton - White tail spider bite.
Shelley Woolley - Ruptured ovarian cysts.
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