If you have pain due to mind-body syndrome, it is the fear of the pain, and the attention you give the pain, that perpetuates the pain.
Pain that lasts longer than 3 to 6 months is considered chronic pain, and most often is not due to structural damage, even if the pain started due to an injury. If you are uncertain if the pain (or other symptoms) you are experiencing is due to mind-body syndrome, you can read more about it here and get a free self-assessment.
Regardless of the original injury, or onset of the pain, once it has become chronic, it is the pre-occupation with the pain, and fear of the pain, that perpetuates the pain. Every time we think about, talk about, or worry about the pain, it sends a danger signal to the brain and the brain creates more pain. In the article below, Alan Gordon, LCSW, of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, describes how we can break this pain cycle.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, or send me an email at coach@kristinacarlton.com.