The way our brains interpret information impacts mood, sleep, focus, memory, and certainly pain. Research on the human brain tells us that certain areas are more active than others when we are exposed to something unpleasant (like pain) and that this can work in both directions. That is to say that pain can send a signal upward to the brain that something unpleasant is happening, but the brain can send the same signals downward. The saying “depression hurts” comes from thi