Can Emotional Stress Cause Pain? [3 of 5]

Chronic Pain and the Mind-Body Connection

Does your body have a story to tell?
You might not know or be fully aware,
The only clue or hint of something amiss,
Are those little signs your body is giving you…
Various types of pain such as,
Migraines, back pain, fatigue, stomach issues etc…

You go to doctors in search of relief,
Undergo testing up the wazoo,
They may even find a “reason” for your pain,
You resort to taking pain killers,
Seek alternative therapies,
Perhaps even get surgery,

All in an attempt to stop the discomfort,
But nothing helps,
Or if something does,
It is only temporary.
Until it recurs,
Be it a few months or years later,

Alternatively, discomfort pops up in a new area,
Of your body, one that never hurt before,
And then the cycle repeats…
This is not to say that all unexplained,
Or unresolved suffering is,
Psycho-physiological.

However, in many cases it is…
This does not mean that your distress,
Is any less real or any less dreadful,
Than ache(s) not caused by your brain.
Why would your brain cause your body,
To scream out in agony?

It is the process of conversion,
Having an unbearable emotion or conflict,
Such as rage, guilt or sorrow at someone,
With someone you dare(d) not express,
You may not be able to voice your thoughts,
Or emotions, but you have them all the same.

You need to let them out somehow,
And thus the brain releases them in the only way,
That it feels safe, via your body.
Because this is what your brain knows.
This is what your mind learned to do.
This was the only safe way to vent.

When you were but a young child,
You were powerless,
You had to depend upon your caregivers,
For everything…
Your brain learned to suppress unacceptable emotions,
This was necessary for your survival.

What does this mean as an adult?
The conversion of emotion into pain keeps you,
Focused on unbearable pain symptoms,
“Well-behaved” on the outside,
And safely distracted from acknowledging,
Those intolerable emotions or a traumatic event.

Is it possible that your pain is psycho-physiological?
The pain feels/is so real…
And you’re right, the distress is real,
That said, you can still break this cycle,
There are various approaches to tackling this challenge,
But are you ready?

The biggest obstacle to treatment,
Is acknowledgement of this possibility,
Once that hurdle is overcome,
Healing and recovery appear,
As lights at the end of the tunnel,
Even if you have been suffering for decades…

This is the third post of the series on mindbody syndrome based upon the conference: When Stress Causes Pain: Innovative Treatments for Psychophysiologic Disorders.

In the next post of this series, I will share with you some key take-aways from the Cognitive Behavioral approach to how you can help yourself and/or your clients address this disorder.

What are your thoughts/comments about mind-body syndrome? Please share your comments below 🙂

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