Embracing Psychosomatic Pain through Mindfulness

Written By lifejourney counselling

Have you ever experienced intense or prolonged physical pain/discomfort and believed that there was a physical issue, only to find that thorough medical examinations showed nothing wrong? Despite consulting various family physicians and specialists and trying different medications, the pain persists.

This type of pain is referred to as psychosomatic pain.

If this scenario resonates with you, you might want to explore alternative treatments like psychotherapy or counselling to help you address, embrace, and alleviate psychosomatic pain.

Psychosomatic pain is real, and just as painful

Psychosomatic pain suggests that physical symptoms or discomfort may have psychological or emotional origins, meaning that mental or emotional factors, rather than solely physical conditions, could influence or cause the pain.

Various factors can contribute to the development of psychosomatic pain, including high levels of psychological stress, emotional distress, unresolved emotional issues, past trauma, depression, anxiety, and cultural or societal factors etc. Psychosomatic pain may manifest as physical symptoms such as pain in different body parts, headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, and other bodily discomforts.

 

A personal experience with psychosomatic pain

Twice in my life journey, I have personally encountered psychosomatic pain. Both times, due to stress. Once, during my bachelor's degree, I experienced severe back pain, but medical examinations found nothing wrong. The second instance of back pain was work-related stress, but this time, I had awareness. Instead of relying heavily on massage therapy, I turned to mindfulness to relax my body and mind. Remarkably, my tensed muscles relaxed, and the pain disappeared. Isn't it amazing?

 

So, what is mindfulness?

Renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh defines mindfulness as an energy that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is going on in the present moment, within us and around us.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the developer of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), describes mindfulness as the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.

 

How practicing mindfulness works

Through practicing mindfulness, I learned to direct my attention to my body and recognize stress. With this awareness, I could take steps to care for my body and promote relaxation.

Similarly, if experiencing psychosomatic pain, being mindful of our body and mind in the present moment may provide cues for self-healing. Therefore, the first crucial step is to practise mindfulness to bring awareness before delving into the root causes. Then bring in additional support from a counsellor or mental health therapist to facilitate the discovery of root causes and speed up the healing process.

— Trista Lam

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Want to learn mindfulness to embrace your psychosomatic pain and/or look for additional support? 

Help is at hand.

You can book a free 15-minute phone consultation with us:

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