My husband used to say “Pain is your friend, it tells you when you’ve done something stupid.” My way of looking at it is that pain is your body shouting. Your body sends you messages with sensations: you need to eat, no- don’t eat that! you need to drink, you need to empty your bladder, you need to move or your leg will fall asleep, there’s something sticking into you- move back. Most of these things are noticed below the level of perception, but if we ignore them, the message gets stronger and becomes pain. Whether physical or emotional, when something is hurting you the message is that you need to change something. Learning to avoid pain is smart, but learning to listen before things gets painful is wise. Staying in a painful situation is almost always going to damage you more than trying to get away. Don’t let fear of unknown dangers keep you from avoiding the ones that are already manifesting.