
Ouch!
Why Pain Hurts, and Why it Doesn't Have To
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $17.44
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Laila Pyne
About this listen
Bloomsbury presents Ouch! by Margee Kerr and Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, read by Laila Pyne.
Pain seems like a fairly straightforward experience – you get hurt and it, well, hurts. But how would you describe it? By the number of broken bones or stitches? By the cause – the crowning baby, the sharp knife, the straying lover? What does a 7 on a pain scale of 1 to 10 really mean?
Pain is complicated. But most of the time, the way we treat pain is superficial – we seek out states of perfect painlessness by avoiding it at all costs, or suppressing it, usually with drugs. This has left us hurting all the more.
Through in-depth interviews, investigation into the history of pain and original research, Ouch! paints a new picture of pain as a complex and multi-layered phenomenon. Authors Margee Kerr and Linda McRobbie Rodriguez tell the stories of sufferers and survivors, courageous kids and their brave parents, athletes and artists, people who find healing and pleasure in pain, and scientists pushing the boundaries of pain research, to challenge the notion that all pain is bad and harmful. They reveal why who defines pain matters and how history, science, and culture shape how we experience pain. Ouch! dismantles prevailing assumptions about pain and that not all pain is bad, not all pain should be avoided, and, in the right context, pain can even feel good.
To build a healthier relationship with pain, we must understand how it works, how it is expressed and how we communicate and think about it. Once we understand how pain is made, we can remake it.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Consciousness Instinct
- Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind
- By: Michael S. Gazzaniga
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do neurons turn into minds? The problem of consciousness has gnawed at us for millennia. In the last century there have been massive breakthroughs that have rewritten the science of the brain, and yet the puzzles faced by the ancient Greeks are still present. In The Consciousness Instinct, the neuroscience pioneer Michael S. Gazzaniga puts the latest research in conversation with the history of human thinking about the mind, giving a big-picture view of what science has revealed about consciousness.
-
-
Not recommended
- By PMonaco on 01-19-19
-
What Happened to You?
- Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
- By: Oprah Winfrey, Bruce D. Perry
- Narrated by: Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
-
-
I waited more than 30 years for this book.
- By Gary S. on 04-28-21
By: Oprah Winfrey, and others
-
The Body Keeps the Score
- Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- By: Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent more than three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust.
-
-
Overall Worthwhile, Lingers Too Long in the Why
- By LittleBeadsOfMercury on 04-07-21
-
Borderline Personality Disorder
- A Comprehensive Guide on Self-Healing and to Help You Learn About How to Manage Your Own Emotions and Deal with Borderline Personality Disorder
- By: Brian Neel
- Narrated by: Eric Burr
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We occasionally see a television show with a daily segment called "The Worse Person on Earth". During this episode, the correspondent selects a few persons he believes have said or done anything deserving of his arrogant scorn. Numerous mental health experts may have used the term "worst patients on the planet" to describe persons with borderline personality disorder (BPD) not long ago.
-
-
This book will save my relationship
- By Chris Holmes on 10-10-21
By: Brian Neel
-
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
- Close Encounters with Addiction
- By: Gabor Maté MD
- Narrated by: Daniel Maté
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this timely and profoundly original book, best-selling writer and physician Gabor Maté looks at the epidemic of addictions in our society, tells us why we are so prone to them, and what is needed to liberate ourselves from their hold on our emotions and behaviours.
-
-
Gabor should have been the narrator
- By Stacey on 08-16-19
By: Gabor Maté MD
-
The Myth of Normal
- Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
- By: Gabor Maté MD, Daniel Maté
- Narrated by: Daniel Maté
- Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?
-
-
Bought book after hearing podcast...
- By Adrian on 09-14-22
By: Gabor Maté MD, and others
-
The Consciousness Instinct
- Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind
- By: Michael S. Gazzaniga
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do neurons turn into minds? The problem of consciousness has gnawed at us for millennia. In the last century there have been massive breakthroughs that have rewritten the science of the brain, and yet the puzzles faced by the ancient Greeks are still present. In The Consciousness Instinct, the neuroscience pioneer Michael S. Gazzaniga puts the latest research in conversation with the history of human thinking about the mind, giving a big-picture view of what science has revealed about consciousness.
-
-
Not recommended
- By PMonaco on 01-19-19
-
What Happened to You?
- Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
- By: Oprah Winfrey, Bruce D. Perry
- Narrated by: Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control my behavior?" Others may judge our reactions and think, "What's wrong with that person?" When questioning our emotions, it's easy to place the blame on ourselves; holding ourselves and those around us to an impossible standard. It's time we started asking a different question. Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
-
-
I waited more than 30 years for this book.
- By Gary S. on 04-28-21
By: Oprah Winfrey, and others
-
The Body Keeps the Score
- Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- By: Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent more than three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust.
-
-
Overall Worthwhile, Lingers Too Long in the Why
- By LittleBeadsOfMercury on 04-07-21
-
Borderline Personality Disorder
- A Comprehensive Guide on Self-Healing and to Help You Learn About How to Manage Your Own Emotions and Deal with Borderline Personality Disorder
- By: Brian Neel
- Narrated by: Eric Burr
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We occasionally see a television show with a daily segment called "The Worse Person on Earth". During this episode, the correspondent selects a few persons he believes have said or done anything deserving of his arrogant scorn. Numerous mental health experts may have used the term "worst patients on the planet" to describe persons with borderline personality disorder (BPD) not long ago.
-
-
This book will save my relationship
- By Chris Holmes on 10-10-21
By: Brian Neel
-
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
- Close Encounters with Addiction
- By: Gabor Maté MD
- Narrated by: Daniel Maté
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this timely and profoundly original book, best-selling writer and physician Gabor Maté looks at the epidemic of addictions in our society, tells us why we are so prone to them, and what is needed to liberate ourselves from their hold on our emotions and behaviours.
-
-
Gabor should have been the narrator
- By Stacey on 08-16-19
By: Gabor Maté MD
-
The Myth of Normal
- Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
- By: Gabor Maté MD, Daniel Maté
- Narrated by: Daniel Maté
- Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?
-
-
Bought book after hearing podcast...
- By Adrian on 09-14-22
By: Gabor Maté MD, and others
-
Childhood Disrupted
- How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal
- By: Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The emotional trauma we suffer as children not only shapes our emotional lives as adults but also affects our physical health and overall well-being. Scientists now know on a biochemical level exactly how parents' chronic fights, divorce, death in the family, being bullied or hazed, and growing up with a hypercritical, alcoholic, or mentally ill parent can leave permanent, physical "fingerprints" on our brains.
-
-
some disturbing content, overall very imformative
- By Tryintolivenatural on 11-12-15
-
Chatter
- The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
- By: Ethan Kross
- Narrated by: Ethan Kross
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tell a stranger that you talk to yourself, and you’re likely to get written off as eccentric. But the truth is that we all have a voice in our head. When we talk to ourselves, we often hope to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead. When we’re facing a tough task, our inner coach can buoy us up: Focus - you can do this. But, just as often, our inner critic sinks us entirely: I’m going to fail. They’ll all laugh at me. What’s the use?
-
-
Chatter is Great
- By Mark on 02-13-21
By: Ethan Kross
-
Healing Back Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With case histories and the results of in-depth mind-body research, Dr. Sarno describes how patients recognize the emotional roots of their back pain and sever the connections between mental and physical pain - and how, just by listening to this program, you may start recovering from back pain today!
-
-
This book saved my life!
- By OCGabe on 06-05-18
-
The Mindbody Prescription
- Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
- By: John E. Sarno M.D.
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. John E. Sarno's Healing Back Pain is a New York Times best seller that has helped over 500,000 readers. Continuing the research since his ground-breaking book, the renowned physician now presents his most complete work yet on the vital connection between mental and bodily health.... Musculoskeletal pain disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with most doctors failing to recognize their underlying cause.
-
-
Life changing
- By Rob Roberts on 06-18-16
-
Cured
- Strengthen Your Immune System and Heal Your Life
- By: Jeffrey Rediger MD
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Rediger MD
- Length: 14 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Cured, Dr. Rediger digs down to the root causes of illness, showing how to create an environment that sets the stage for healing. He reveals the patterns behind healing and lays out the physical and mental principles associated with recovery: first, we need to physically heal our diet and our immune systems. Next, we need to mentally heal our stress response and our identities. Through rigorous research, Dr. Rediger shows that much of our physical reality is created in our minds. Our perception changes our experience, even to the point of changing our physical bodies.
-
-
Great information desperately in need of an editor
- By Vicki on 04-13-20
-
Divergent Mind
- Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed For You
- By: Jenara Nerenberg
- Narrated by: Tegan Ashton Cohan
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A paradigm-shifting study of neurodivergent women - those with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder - exploring why these traits are overlooked in women and how society benefits from allowing their unique strengths to flourish.
-
-
Provided no insight
- By Somebody on 06-24-20
By: Jenara Nerenberg
-
The Healing Self
- A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life
- By: Deepak Chopra M.D., Rudolph E. Tanzi Ph.D.
- Narrated by: Shishir Kurup
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Combining the best current medical knowledge with a new approach grounded in integrative medicine, Chopra and Tanzi offer a groundbreaking new model of healing and the healing system, one of the main mysteries in the mind-body connection. The Healing Self is a breakthrough audiobook in self-care for a wide audience. Immunity - the body's ability to ward off disease - can no longer be taken for granted.
-
-
Great book other than the nutrition section
- By Innate on 03-16-18
By: Deepak Chopra M.D., and others
-
The Divided Mind
- By: John E. Sarno
- Narrated by: Paul Hecht, James Boles
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Divided Mind is the crowning achievement of Dr. John E. Sarno's long and successful career as a groundbreaking medical pioneer. While his earlier books dealt almost exclusively with musculoskeletal pain disorders, here Dr. Sarno addresses the entire spectrum of psychosomatic (mind-body) disorders.
-
-
mind/body connection
- By Alexandra on 05-15-06
By: John E. Sarno
-
Guide to Healing the Human Biofield through Integrative Medicine and Health
- By: Erin Hanson
- Narrated by: V L Cole
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the longest while, society has framed integrative approaches to medicine like Reiki and acupuncture. Recent medical breakthroughs have revealed that there’s much more to ancient traditional medicine than made-up “folk remedies".
-
-
gained more insight
- By SBLHair on 01-29-24
By: Erin Hanson
-
Mind Over Medicine
- Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself
- By: Lissa Rankin M.D.
- Narrated by: Lissa Rankin M.D.
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Rankin discovered the health care she had been taught was missing something: a recognition of the body’s innate ability to self-repair. Using cases of spontaneous healing, Dr. Rankin shows how thoughts, feelings, and beliefs can alter the body’s physiology. She lays out the data proving that loneliness, pessimism, depression, fear, and anxiety damage the body, while intimate relationships, gratitude, meditation, sex, and authentic self-expression flip on the body’s self-healing processes.
-
-
Blue Zones Meets The Placebo Effect
- By Jay on 06-29-13
-
Why Woo - Woo Works
- The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices
- By: David R. Hamilton PhD
- Narrated by: David R. Hamilton PhD
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Hamilton, PhD, has been studying the mind-body connection and the power of thought for years, finding compelling evidence of why and how alternative therapies can and do work. In his trademark warm and conversational tone, he explains the science and spirituality behind some of today's most popular alternative practices. Why Woo-Woo Works proves why we shouldn't discount alternative therapies and healing modalities and reveals the answers that you have been looking for.
-
-
Not New To Me But Still Fantastic!
- By Cynthia M. on 12-12-21
-
The Energy Cure
- Unraveling the Mystery of Hands-On Healing
- By: William Bengston PhD, Sylvia Fraser - with
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With The Energy Cure, Dr. William Bengston presents astonishing evidence that challenges us to totally rethink what we believe about our ability to heal. Drawing on his scientific research, incredible results, and mind-bending questions, Bengston invites us to follow him along his 35-year investigation into the mystery of hands-on healing, and to discover a technique that may activate your healing abilities.
-
-
Fun listen
- By Cotter on 06-24-23
By: William Bengston PhD, and others
What listeners say about Ouch!
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- I HEART RI
- 01-22-21
What an interesting concept!!
Such an interesting topic! I love the writing, and was a great listen. I narrator wasn’t my favorite (she mispronounced a few words which always irritates me) but on the whole, very thought provoking!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- chris boutte
- 07-02-21
Incredible book
I personally think that Margee Kerr has some of the most underrated books. After reading her previous book Scream, I knew I had to grab this book as well. This was my first introduction to her co-author, Linda, and they did an incredible job with this book. I mainly wanted to read this book because I’m a recovering opioid addict with 9 years clean, and I assumed it was going to just be about how we manage pain in the United States. Well, not only did it cover that, but it covered so much more. I don’t even have enough space in this brief review to discuss all of the topics that the authors dive into. They discuss physical vs emotional pain, alternative forms of pain management, the opioid epidemic, pain as a form of therapy, the psychology behind BDSM, and so much more. This is such a fantastic book, and these two are incredible writers, so I can’t recommend this book nearly enough.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julie
- 12-04-22
Narrator was very distracting
I’ve never really noticed narrators one way or the other. But this narrator had such unnatural cadence and emphasis that it was painful to listen to. If you aren’t retested in this book, I suggest not listening to the audio, but reading the paper version.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!