How Anxiety Impacts Chronic Pain and 3 Holistic Changes to Healing

Anxiety impacts chronic pain and yet the therapy industry is still teaching outdated methods for healing. There are 3 main ways I, a licensed therapist, see chronic pain therapy missing the mark on healing.

This blog post will provide you the understanding of how your anxiety could be creating your chronic pain, 3 places to start changing your approach to healing chronic pain and of course some tips to start your healing journey today.

How Anxiety Creates Chronic Pain in our Bodies 

When you go through any kind of chronic pain or trauma, your brain starts to associate certain experiences with those symptoms and sends danger signals to the body to avoid it.

For example if you’re having back pain in the car or from sitting for long periods of time, your brain starts to interpret danger whenever you're in the car. Then whenever you even anticipate being in the car, it spikes anxiety because you're fearful of being in that situation and that pain again.

Your brain tells your body that pain equals sitting in a car. 

 So whenever you're even thinking about going for a long car ride or sitting for long periods of time, your brain becomes hyperactive and tries to protect you by saying “Danger danger, please don't do that.” 

Once you start to worry about it, this creates physical sensations which in turn create the familiar negative pattern of being in pain, which creates more anxiety not only in your mind because you're thinking about it so much but the anxiety increases the pain dangerous signals in your body too.

3 ways we go wrong with chronic pain

There are 3 main ways traditional therapy is going wrong when it comes to treating people living with chronic pain: Focusing on the physical aspect only, treating anxiety and pain as separate parts and the impact on your daily life. `

Focusing only on the Physical Side

It can be very frustrating when you are dealing with chronic pain and nothing seems to help. You may start to feel like there is something wrong with you physically, even though you have been to the doctor and they say everything is fine. This is because your chronic pain and anxiety are connected and focusing on just the physical won’t be enough to help you heal.

Even if there is a structural cause to your chronic pain, the fact that it’s chronic means it needs a different and holistic approach. Afterall, our mind and body are connected as one, they both effect how the other is feeling.

That's why it's so important to address both the physical and the mental aspects of chronic pain. Just medication or physical therapy won’t be enough, you’ll also need to work on managing the anxiety that is triggering the pain.

Treating Anxiety and Physical Pain Seperately

When it comes to anxiety and physical pain, it is important not to treat them as separate issues. Anxiety can make physical pain worse, and vice versa. 

Again, our brain and body are not seperate entities, they’re deeply it all connects. You have to learn to work with both if you want to start healing either.

Ignoring the impact your chronic pain has on your life

Chronic pain can have a huge impact on every aspect of your life. It can interfere with your ability to work, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy leisure activities. 

If your someone who deals with chronic pain and anxiety, you know how much time, energy, and money it takes to get through your day to day life.

All your anxiety towards your chronic pain creates more stress which then increases the pain. The chronic pain will end up impacting every aspect in your life; your mental health, emotional health, relationships, career and finances.

Stop How Anxiety Impacts Chronic Pain

So to break the cycle we have to deactivate the anxiety and really teach the brain that it's safe and it's okay to sit in the car or take part in a situation that caused you pain in the past. 

When you can soothe the anxiety in your body, it actually decreases the pain that you’re feeling so that you aren't as fearful and the brain can stop sending danger signals all the time.

I hope you gained some insight into how a holistic therapist can help you lessen the way anxiety impacts your chronic pain and learned some strategies that will support your recovery process. Remember that the journey towards better mental health wellbeing requires time and effort but it is worth taking on if you want to find relief from both anxiety and chronic pain. 

If you’d like to try a holistic approach to your chronic pain, reach out to book a call with one of our texas based therapists. We see clients virtually and in person in Austin. You can learn more about our services here.