Living with Chronic Pain means dealing with not only pain, but uncertainty, discomfort, confusion and so many more complex feelings that manifest when dealing with your situation. Mental health related difficulties can arise as a result of pain or can pre-exist and worsen during the course of chronic pain.

 

If you have chronic pain, you may have heard the judgmental statement that “it’s all in your head!” On the contrary, nothing could be further from the truth! Your pain is real, however, on a very technical level, no matter where you may feel pain in your body, your central nervous system processes your pain; as well, it processes your emotions. It is therefore unsurprising that psychological intervention is so important when it comes to managing pain.

 

Cognitive psychology helps connect you with vital information and skills so you may best control the factors that worsen pain, and help you cultivate tools for relief. These skills can help reduce pain intensity, but more than that, they can alter the way that is processed in your nervous system, thereby contributing to lasting relief.

 

A key pain psychology skill here is to learn how to change your emotional responses to pain. The human body and brain are hardwired to respond to pain in a specific way— increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, tight muscles, agitated thoughts, and vaso-constriction. These 5 elements make up the pain response. The same 5 elements make up the stress response. Indeed, chronic pain and chronic stress are two sides of the same coin! So, it’s no wonder that many people observe that stress makes their pain worse. Living with chronic pain for months and years changes the brain and can shape it towards greater pain sensitivity and associated distress—that’s the bad news. The good news is that you can apply proper pain management strategies that can be used regularly, reconditioning your mind and body towards greater comfort and relief.

 

Beyond pain management, cognitive psychology increases your insight into your performance problems by targeting the way you think, which undoubtedly affects your behavior and performance. Through cognitive rehabilitation approaches, those who are suffering from chronic pain (and/or chronic functional difficulties) can strengthen their adaptive skills and improve their independence and quality of life.

 

In conclusion, cognitive psychology holds great promise for reducing your suffering as pain patients! By empowering you to recognize and modify your cognitive responses to chronic pain and/or chronic functional complications, - cognitive interventions provide you with an appropriate path towards your resilience, restoration, and holistic well-being.