Holistic Approaches in Mental Health and Wellness
âThere is Pain in this World that you Canât be Cheered Out of. Some Things Cannot be Fixed. They Can Only be Carriedâ: A Humanistic Perspective on Enduring Psychological Pain
Abstract
Oscar Stuta
Contemporary mental health discourse often emphasizes recovery, resilience, and positive coping strategies. While these approaches provide valuable pathways toward healing, they may inadvertently create the expectation that all forms of suffering can be overcome, resolved, or eliminated. However, certain experiences—such as profound grief, traumatic loss, moral injury, chronic illness, bereavement, and existential suffering—represent forms of pain that cannot be entirely removed from an individual’s life. The statement, “There is pain in this world that you can’t be cheered out of. Some things cannot be fixed. They can only be carried,” captures an essential yet frequently overlooked dimension of human existence: the reality of enduring pain. This paper explores the psychological, philosophical, and existential implications of carrying unresolved suffering. Drawing upon existential psychology, grief theory, trauma studies, and contemporary resilience research, the discussion argues that healing does not always involve eliminating pain but rather developing the capacity to coexist with it. The paper further examines how acceptance, meaning-making, social connection, and compassionate presence contribute to psychological adaptation in the face of irreversible loss and life- altering experiences.