Hooked on relief, forgotten how to heal: Rediscovering the power of synergy for pain management

Dr Aproko recently shared one of his usual educational videos, highly important for every facet of society. His teachings, often a mix of humour, facts, and sarcasm, seem to appeal to everyone: the young, the elderly, the educated, and even the uneducated.

However, I realised I rarely have the patience to watch his videos to the end. I usually watch for a few seconds, especially as he repeatedly calls “Amaka,” but I often stop midway because I assume I already understand where he is heading. That changed when I came across a post he shared about the signs and symptoms of people addicted to pentazocine, a pain medication popularly called Penta. The video held me spellbound until the very end. I have always advocated total abstinence from hard drugs to avoid the crisis of addiction, but I had never deeply reflected on the emotional and psychological impact substance abuse has on people.

Every form of addiction often stems from a place of pain. Pain rooted in physical, mental, psychological, or even spiritual struggles. Pain is a universal language that everyone understands. The word itself functions as both a noun and a verb, yet there are no language barriers when describing the feeling. So why do we spend so much time discussing the consequences of pain instead of seeking solutions that are not addictive? What was pain management like in ancient times? Were people addicted to pain remedies then? Did those remedies damage the mind and soul the way many addictions do today? To understand pain and overcome addiction, we must explore how ancient societies managed pain long before modern treatments became linked to dependency.

Pain may evoke similar sensory experiences, but emotional responses to it differ greatly. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.” Pain can be emotional, psychological, physical, and even spiritual.

Every human being born into this world experiences pain. Ask the screaming mother who pushes out an infant in agonizing labour, only to immediately laugh and cry with joy once the child takes its first breath. Pain, like love, is a universal language understood regardless of culture, geography, age, or social status. I believe that the root causes of addiction echoes Carl Jung’s belief that “spiritus contra spiritum” (spirituality against spirits/alcohol) this is because addiction is often a misplaced search for wholeness

The Bible describes pain as a form of physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. It can serve as a sign of brokenness, a warning of danger, or even a tool for testing faith and developing endurance. In some biblical narratives, pain appears as a consequence of disobedience, capable of affecting the mind and transforming behaviour, as seen in the lives of Saul and Nebuchadnezzar. Pain has always contributed to emotional and mental distress, both in ancient times and in modern society.

Ancient Chinese medicine describes pain as an imbalance between Yin and Yang. An obstruction in the flow of qi (energy) and blood, often summarized by the saying, “Where there is blockage, there is pain.” In many African cultures, pain is understood not merely as a biological dysfunction, but as a holistic experience deeply connected to spiritual, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. It was often viewed as a natural signal of disease, injury, or imbalance within the body, rather than a separate entity to be completely removed, as is often emphasized in Western medicine.

Pharmacological pain management has undoubtedly helped generations live longer and healthier lives. It has reduced suffering, improved emergency care, and prevented countless deaths caused by physical and mental health crises. But what changed? Have we gradually lost our resilience because of dependence on pharmaceutical relief? Have we become so afraid of pain that we attempt to escape it before it even arrives by constantly medicating ourselves?

Why are we so dependent on pain relief that we sometimes inflict pain on ourselves just to experience relief repeatedly? The culture of quick fixes, shortcuts, and fast-track solutions is creating a monster beneath our beds, yet we ignore it, lie down beside it, and then scream in fear when it grows beyond control.

Modern lifestyles encourage symptom suppression rather than true healing. People often treat symptoms while ignoring the root cause, and we can already see the consequences in the growing number of individuals battling medication dependence, antibiotic resistance, chronic fatigue, and lifestyle-related illnesses. Unhealthy sleep patterns, constant exposure to trends, poor eating habits, and high-stress living have created cycles of exhaustion that demand continuous relief. Today, stopping to rest is often seen as weakness instead of wisdom. We have become conditioned to seek temporary comfort rather than long-term wellness. An unmanaged stress episode can lead to dependence on stimulants, followed by burnout and increased reliance on medication. Poor lifestyle habits contribute to chronic illnesses, and eventually we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of relief without true healing.

The solution lies in synergy. Combining pharmacological interventions with ancient, non-invasive methods that have worked for generations. We are quick to argue that many modern conditions, including neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illnesses, existed in ancient times but were not formally diagnosed because there were no modern tools available. Yet we are also witnessing a growing return to ancestral recipes, herbs, and wellness practices preserved by those wise enough to document them before they disappeared completely. My call for synergy aligns with Humanistic psychology and Logotherapy, which argue that pain is a signal of a “void” that requires meaning-making and holistic integration rather than just chemical suppression something which Energy psychology encourages as well.

Energy psychology represents a “fourth wave” of therapy that shifts the clinical focus from symptom-focused behaviorism to a holistic-integrative framework, utilizing techniques like Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to bridge ancient acupressure with modern psychology. By addressing the emotional trauma and psychological distress often underlying chronic pain, this approach encourages patients to move beyond the modern “relief dependency” caused by overstimulation and pharmaceutical reliance

Beyond the prescription, we need to reunite science with ancestral wisdom by adapting methods that supported healing long before bottle-capped solutions became dominant. Aristotle and Hippocrates viewed the mind and body as an inseparable unit, suggesting that true eudaimonia (flourishing) requires the balance of physical health and moral/emotional virtue. Consider the effect of music therapy performed by David on the troubled mind of Saul. In modern psychological interpretation, Saul’s alternating periods of aggression, emotional despair, paranoia, and instability could pass for conditions such as bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. Yet music became part of his healing process.

Music has the ability to regulate the nervous system, calm emotional distress, and support mental wellbeing. Integrating relaxing music into treatment plans may help reduce excessive dependence on medication while supporting emotional healing. Certain sound frequencies, such as 528 Hz, are commonly explored within alternative wellness communities for their calming and restorative effects.

This does not diminish the importance of modern medicine. Modern healthcare has saved millions of lives through antibiotics, emergency medicine, surgery, and advanced diagnostics. Diseases that were once fatal are now manageable or treatable, and pharmacological interventions continue to help people living with chronic illnesses, infections, pain disorders, and mental health conditions.

However, if our goal is true wholeness involving both the body and the mind, we must also embrace holistic approaches. Traditional African methods of pain management adopted a comprehensive understanding of healing by combining herbs, nutrition, physical activity, massage, rest, spirituality, emotional wellbeing, and community support to relieve pain and restore balance within the body. Rather than focusing solely on suppressing symptoms after pain becomes severe, these approaches emphasised prevention, lifestyle balance, and addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual roots of discomfort.

Over time, colonial influence and the dominance of Western medical systems contributed to the dismissal or undervaluing of many indigenous African healing practices, creating a divide between scientific medicine and traditional knowledge. Yet pain management was never meant to rely solely on either pharmacological intervention or traditional remedies. Meaningful synergy recognizes that responsible modern medicine and evidence-informed African holistic practices can work together to provide more comprehensive, culturally relevant, and person-centered care.

Conversations surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, chronic pain, and lifestyle-related illnesses continue to increase globally. There remains ongoing debate about whether these conditions existed historically in the same form or whether they were interpreted and managed differently within ancient societies. There are increasing stories of individuals claiming improvements in conditions such as autism through dietary changes, herbs, and holistic interventions. While such claims require careful scientific evaluation, Africa remains a continent rich in medicinal plants, nutritional resources, and healing traditions that have not yet been adequately researched or documented. There is a pressing need for scientific investigation, proper documentation, and evidence-based validation of indigenous practices so that healthcare can focus not only on pills, but also on prevention, nutrition, emotional wellness, and healthier living. By addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual roots of pain rather than relying solely on pharmaceutical relief, we can foster long-term resilience and holistic restoration.

Before you pop another pill or inject yourself simply for temporary relief, remember that the pain you carry may not be only physical; some pain is emotional, invisible, and deeply personal. Look deeper and build resilience by being patient enough to treat the root cause through healthier lifestyle choices, movement, music, journaling, painting, nature walks, mindfulness, emotional support, and rest. Over time, you may discover that your dependence on constant relief gradually reduces. This school of thought resonates with the biopsychosocial and holistic psychology models; however, my emphasis remains on preserving the relevant African narrative that reframes pain not merely as a symptom to suppress, but as a multidimensional human experience requiring balance, meaning, resilience, and collaborative healing.

After all, before the pills, we valued portions, patience, and wholeness.

Let us reduce the number of people who have mastered relief but forgotten how to heal.

.Mokwe-Ijiko is the founder Eliakim Global Intervention ([email protected])