I seem to have a disorder where no matter what people say I always hear a food reference. My friend said something like, ‘This is a really nice car,’ and I was like, ‘Did you say birthday cake?’ It sounded nothing like birthday cake but that’s what I heard. Actually, I wouldn’t mind some birthday cake. Or a slice of pizza, for that matter.
Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.’