Eula Biss, “The Pain Scale”

In her brief, compelling narrative piece, “The Pain Scale,” writer Eula Biss, MFA, contemplates the inexpressible nature of pain and the difficulty of seeking relief through a medical system that relies heavily upon quantitative assessments of pain. In this group discussion, we use Biss’s piece as a starting point for reflecting on the intensely personal experience of suffering and the complexities of translating such experiences in ways that are diagnosable and treatable.