Talking About Chronic Pain and Mental Health

An early perspective on pain

When I was at high school, I came across a small book of philosophical fragments from the Greek Stoics.

One idea stayed with me over the years, often attributed to Epictetus:

Pain is nothing to us, for either it is unbearable and kills us, or it is bearable and can be endured.

Whether or not this quote has been remembered accurately, the idea itself raises an important question:

Is pain something we simply endure or something we can understand differently?

The link between chronic pain and mental health

Chronic pain is not only a physical experience. It has a significant impact on mental health.

Acute pain often brings anxiety.Ongoing or persistent pain can lead to depression and emotional distress.

In many cases, individuals living with chronic pain are also navigating:

• anxiety

• low mood

• reduced quality of life

This highlights an important point:

Psychological support is an essential part of managing chronic pain.

Even if psychological approaches do not remove pain entirely, they play a critical role in supporting overall wellbeing.

Understanding how the brain processes chronic pain

When we simplify the concept, pain involves two key components:

1. Nerve messages travelling to the brain

These signals may come from an injury, or sometimes from areas where no clear physical cause can be identified (such as neuropathic or phantom pain).

2. The brain’s response to those messages

The brain interprets these signals as a warning often activating a strong internal alarm response:“This is a problem. Something must be done.”

In chronic pain, this creates an ongoing loop:

• messages continue to arrive

• the brain continues to react

Even when there is no immediate solution.

Why chronic pain is difficult to treat

Many treatments focus on stopping pain at its source.

These may include:

• medication

• injections

• physical therapies

• surgical interventions

However, chronic pain often persists despite these approaches.

Pain medications, particularly those affecting the nervous system, may dull overall bodily responses but the pain itself often remains.

This highlights a key challenge:

Chronic pain is not always resolved by targeting the physical source alone.

A different approach to pain management

If pain cannot always be eliminated, the question becomes:

Can the experience of pain be changed?

This introduces a third approach focusing on the brain’s response.

Rather than removing pain signals entirely, it may be possible to:

• reduce the intensity of the brain’s reaction

• change how those signals are experienced

Over time, this can shift the experience of pain from something overwhelming to something more manageable.

Learning a different response

With the right approach, individuals may learn to experience pain differently.

For example, pain may begin to feel less like an urgent alarm and more like background noise, but not dominating attention.

Much like an ongoing sound in the environment:“It’s there, but I don’t need to focus on it.”

This does not mean the pain disappears.

But it may become:

• less intrusive

• less distressing

• more manageable

Building new pathways

Approaches that combine psychological techniques, relaxation, and neuroscience-informed methods aim to support this shift.

Research suggests that:

• the brain is capable of change

• new patterns of response can be developed over time

However, this requires:

• structured guidance

• consistent practice

• time

Often over several weeks or longer.

A structured approach to support

The program developed by Dr Michael King focuses on step-by-step skill development.

Rather than simply encouraging people to “relax” or ignore pain, it aims to:

• provide practical tools

• build control over responses

• support gradual change in how pain is experienced

This approach is designed to complement, not replace, other forms of pain management.

A final reflection

Chronic pain remains a complex and challenging experience.

However, understanding how pain works, and how the brain responds, opens the possibility for a different way of relating to it.

Even small changes in this relationship can support:

• greater sense of control

• improved wellbeing

• a life less dominated by pain

Learn more

This article provides a brief overview of Dr Michael King’s approach to chronic pain management.

For more information: www.paintherapy4u.com

Or contact Nutricula Psychology for further support.