There is a beautiful book called The Gift of Pain by Paul Brand. Essentially, it is a biographical allegory that details the author's time as a teacher and doctor in India. In his hospital there, he encountered many who struggled with leprosy, both the physical manifestations as well as the negative social stigma. Leprosy can be described as the body not acknowledging places of pain, allowing wounds to fester, muscles to weaken, nerves to remain damaged. A leper's body does not experience these places of pain, and so does not even know it needs healing. Dr. Brand saw the truth in this not just for medical treatment for leprosy, but really the value pain brings to us as human beings. Rather than seeing pain as something to avoid, to fix, to medicate - pain shows us where we need healing. And so, pain can actually be seen as a necessary gift.

Another way of saying the same thing: I had a good friend in college who was medicated for depression. He absolutely hated taking his meds. They worked as intended - he didn't feel low and depressed when on his medicine. But he also never felt joyful or exuberant. Everything just felt flat - neither high nor low. He recognized that sorrow and joy are actually necessary for each other.

Of course, I would also say there can be too much pain. There is definitely a place for medication, therapy, solutions for our problems, etc. My point, though, is that in our culture today we are generally more apt to solve our pains rather than face them and learn from them.