What does the Pain of Having Braces Feel Like?

I'm planning on getting braces sometime in the near future. I've been asking people who have had or have braces "How bad do they hurt"? I've been getting mixed reactions. Some people say the pain is not that bad, that's it bearable. Others say that the pain is really bad. Some said that they even cried the first couple of days. My questions is what does the pain feel like? Is it a really bad sore/tender feeling? Or is it excruciating pain? If it's just soreness I think I can handle it. I'm a big baby when it comes to pain. I used to suck my finger when I was little, which left me with a small overbite. Will over the counter medicine help relieve some of the discomfort?