Pain is Pain – Not A Catastrophe. Removing the stigma surrounding pain catastrophizing
Michelle Marikos
Peer Support Specialist ???? PEER? Method creator & facilitator. Helping providers and people living with chronic pain communicate with empathy to restore wellbeing and avert burnout. 2X certified. CLICK ??
I had never heard of ‘pain catastrophizing’ until I attended the Mayo Pain Rehabilitation Center almost 20 years ago. During my six-week rehabilitation program, various types of treatment and therapies were presented to help each attendee achieve individualized goals in returning to an active and fulfilling life.
The program essentially focuses on helping people learn aspects of their pain and life they can control when a cure for the pain is not possible. The subject of pain catastrophizing came up in a class called ‘Cognitive Coping Skills – Changing Your Thoughts about Your Chronic Pain and Illness’. We looked at the effects of positive and negative thought patterns, how thought patterns form, and how these can lead to catastrophic thinking (a common negative thought pattern that may arise from painful or unfair situations – often our human tendency is to view events much worse than they actually are), for example, you may have said to yourself, “ I can't take this anymore” or “The pain has ruined my life”. We talked through lots of negative or inaccurate thinking examples, and how our perception or interpretation of a situation may not always reflect facts; thus the belief that the continued pain can only arise from a serious illness. This creates a cycle of belief that greatly increases stress, makes symptoms worse and limits the ability to use effective coping skills.
I remember how I felt defined by my pain; my thoughts and long-held beliefs around my pain, its limitations on my life and the way I viewed the world had become ingrained into my very being, and I didn’t even know that I was ‘catastrophizing’.?
I truly believed I would never get married, have children or have any semblance of a ‘normal life’ because of my pain. Twenty years on, I still find it enormously triggering to reflect upon how those thought patterns had consumed me.
During the early days of the Mayo Clinic program, we were encouraged to do positive affirmations, and I remember thinking how stupid they were. How could that possibly fix my pain? What was the point of saying stuff out loud that simply made no sense to me? Looking back, I started the program with a deeply troubled and negative view of pain management. But once we started talking about cognitive coping skills and pain catastrophizing, a light bulb went on, the positive affirmations and the positive thought processes started to make more sense to me.?
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One of our homework assignments was to write out a list of positive affirmations that had meaning and resonated with us. Even though the affirmations were now in my own voice, I could still hear the monkey chatter saying how dumb this activity was. Only when talking more about the cognitive coping skills and the pain catastrophizing was I able to use my positive affirmations to good effect. They were simple: “I'm okay”, “I'm not harmed”, “I can do this”, but they helped. I used them throughout my pain medication tapering and also when I caught myself having negative thoughts.?
To this day, I use positive affirmations, albeit slightly altered versions, such as “You can do hard things.” When I tell my toddler son that he can do hard things, I also tell myself that I can do hard things –?one of which is living with chronic pain.
State Certified Mental Health Peer Support Specialist . CRSS Supervisor . Trauma-Informed Coach . Advocate
7 个月This topic is so important and I am so grateful that you shared your story! I have been on a personal journey this year learning ways to reframe thoughts and thinking patterns regarding chronic pain and my autoimmune struggles. When you've experienced chronic pain for over a decade, it becomes easy to catastrophize and ruminate on all the ways you hate your body and the ways it has taken the fun out of living. Suppressed anger and grief combined with pain anxiety continues the cycle. So often people are invalidated by doctors when they are told the pain is "in their head". There are better ways to discuss the neurophysiologic symptoms. I wish a trauma-informed approach and asking questions regarding early childhood experiences and life stressors would be the norm, but sadly it is not. You have done a beautiful job explaining the importance of pain reprocessing in this article and your words are appreciated!
Independent Associate of the Super Patch Company| Wellness Advocate | Pain Management | Health Products | Drug FREE Pain Relief|
7 个月Reading your story brought so much heaviness and light at the same time to my heart. I lived in chronic pain for five years after my car . It was the worst. Period of my time I lost myself in sorrow and depression and anxiety. and none of my positivity helped me . I felt just like you did say this stupid things when I don’t believe them. I kept them even though I did not believe . It’s hard to say I’m happy when you lose a business your single mother. And you need epidurals to be able to live live . Morphine drips, Vicodin, Norco, and so many other meds.. and then your neurology gives up on you and you start shaking and spasms and then Dr. tell you sorry we have no options for you. You going to be in a wheelchair. Those affirmations was the death of me. I just giggled saying that out loud. I prayed to die. And I also prayed for miracle. Today, I’m living my best life and helping others to not give up. Hope continues those ridiculous affirmations through their anger through their disappointment and the pity party on top of. my darkest moment becamebrightest light. Faith is powerful thing. And miracles do happen and I am a walk-in miracle. Your article will help so many people. Thank you for sharing. It will help many people.