busy forgetting pain

"Being busy helps you forget your pain." Is that really true? Somehow I want to rebel against that. I don't think it's really true at all. You can be busy and still be in pain. But actually doing something is always better than sitting around and shriveling up in your distorted mind. I've been busy this week. Not really feeling pain, or much at all. I just feel halfway like a machine on a schedule, and halfway like a sudden realization that I'm human. Is this my gray area?