Objective: To analyze the adverse experiences lived in the childhood by people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, based on psychoanalytic psychosomatics. Methods: Qualitative research, developed with 20 people with chronic musculoskeletal pain and who were receiving physiotherapeutic treatment at a clinic in the countryside of the state of São Paulo. The data were collected during the months of June and July 2018, through semi-structured interviews. This article refers to one of the resulting themes of reflexive thematic analysis: Suffered life, hard life. Results: When talking about their lives, people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain revealed themes associated with some adverse childhood experiences such as parental deaths, neglect, economic hardship, family violence, physical and psychological violence. Final considerations: The analysis of adverse experiences lived in childhood by people with chronic musculoskeletal pain shows presence of intense suffering revealed in people’s speech when associated with perceived physical pain.

Objetivo: analisar as vivências de pessoas com dor musculoesquelética crônica na perspectiva da psicossomática psicanalítica. Método: estudo qualitativo, realizado em serviço ambulatorial público no interior do estado de São Paulo. Participaram 20 pessoas com dores musculoesqueléticas crônicas. Os dados foram coletados nos meses de junho e julho de 2018 através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e submetidos à análise temática reflexiva.  Resultados: o tema “Minha vida, meu corpo é um hematoma, uma dor crônica” trouxe diferentes tipos e graus de sofrimentos. Estes foram acompanhados de vários sentimentos como indignação, revolta, tristeza, raiva, despertados pelas vivências de violências intrafamiliares, abandono, violências nas relações íntimas, doenças, mortes e privação de liberdade de familiares.  Conclusão: entende-se que o olhar centrado na subjetividade possibilita melhor compreensão e interpretação dos fenômenos ligados à complexidade da dor e ao processo de adoecimento, que traz à cena experiências singulares e subjetivas da vida.ABSTRACTObjective: to analyze the experiences of people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain from the perspective of psychoanalytic psychosomatics. Method: qualitative study, carried out in a public outpatient service in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Twenty people with chronic musculoskeletal pain participated. Data were collected in June and July 2018 through semi-structured interviews and subjected to reflective thematic analysis. Results: the theme “My life, my body is a bruise, a chronic pain” brought different types and degrees of suffering. These were accompanied by various feelings such as indignation, revolt, sadness, anger, awakened by the experiences of intra-family violence, abandonment, violence in intimate relationships, illnesses, deaths and deprivation of freedom of family members. Conclusion: it is understood that the perspective centered on subjectivity allows for a better understanding and interpretation of phenomena related to the complexity of pain and the illness process, which bring to the fore unique and subjective experiences of life.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar las experiencias de personas que padecen dolor musculoesquelético crónico desde la perspectiva de la psicosomática psicoanalítica. Método: estudio cualitativo, realizado en un ambulatorio público del interior del estado de São Paulo. Participaron veinte personas con dolor musculoesquelético crónico. Los datos se recolectaron en junio y julio de 2018, mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas y se sometieron a análisis temático reflexivo. Resultados: el tema “Mi vida, mi cuerpo es un hematoma, un dolor crónico” trajo diferentes tipos y grados de sufrimiento. Estos fueron seguidos por diversos sentimientos como indignación, revuelta, tristeza, rabia, despertados por las vivencias de violencia intrafamiliar, abandono, violencia en las relaciones íntimas, enfermedades, muertes y privación de libertad de familiares. Conclusión: se comprende que la mirada centrada en la subjetividad permite una mejor comprensión e interpretación de los fenómenos relacionados con la complejidad del dolor y el proceso de la enfermedad que traen a la luz experiencias únicas y subjetivas de la vida.