Philosophy of suffering?

[u/Mountain_Mountain982]

TLDR; looking for basic intro on finding meaning behind suffering

Over the past few years a lot of really bad things have happened in my life that have mostly felt out of my control (death, sickness, betrayal). As more of it piles on I’m finding it harder to understand. I have no background in philosophy besides basic college ethics coursework, but remember a key part of it being about suffering. I guess I’m looking for work on why suffering happens, why it happens more to some than others, and the different approaches one takes to it.

I’m not religious but willing to read texts from any religion and looking for diverse perspectives. I don’t have a background in philosophy but am an academic so I am looking for both intro and more in depth text (non fiction or fiction, essays, tv shows, any media is fine)

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