Reading.
Reading about someone else's pain makes yours disapear for a bit. Listening to a fictional character's journey makes your pain feel less real. It distracts you from reality and makes someone else the focal point. That way, you don't have to deal with something you feel. You just have to pay attention to something that isn't real at all. And then your fears and aching seem not real at all, too. It doesn't heal. It doesn't fix anything. But for pain that feels permanent, and for a problem that seems irreversible, temporary relief is something to rejoice in. Until their story ends and you realize that you're still suffering.
