Understanding Chronic Pain: How the Brain and Body Interact — and How Psychology Can Help
Living with chronic pain can be exhausting, isolating, and deeply frustrating. When pain persists for months or years, it often affects every part of life — from sleep and mood to relationships and work. While pain starts in the body, the way we experience it is influenced by the brain, emotions, and environment.
Understanding the connection between mind and body is a key step toward managing pain more effectively and improving quality of life.
What Is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain refers to pain that lasts longer than three months, even after the original injury or illness has healed — or when no clear physical cause remains. Common examples include:
Arthritis or joint pain
Fibromyalgia
Back or neck pain
Headaches and migraines
Endometriosis
Nerve-related pain (neuropathy)
Pain following injury or surgery
It’s estimated that around one in five Australians lives with chronic pain, and that number increases with age and stress.
The Neuroscience of Pain: Why the Brain Matters
Pain is a protective signal, not just a physical one. The brain constantly interprets information from the body, deciding when to produce the experience of pain. When pain becomes chronic, the nervous system becomes sensitised, meaning the brain and nerves send pain signals more easily — even when the body is not in danger.
This process, called central sensitisation, can make harmless sensations (like touch or movement) feel painful. It’s the brain’s way of staying “on alert,” often due to prolonged stress, past injuries, or emotional strain.
The good news? Because the brain is neuroplastic, it can change. With the right strategies, you can retrain your brain’s response to pain and reduce its intensity over time.
How Chronic Pain Affects Daily Life
Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt physically — it also affects:
Mood and emotions: leading to irritability, sadness, or anxiety
Sleep: disrupted rest can worsen pain sensitivity
Cognition: difficulty focusing, remembering, or processing information
Relationships: isolation or guilt about needing support
Identity: feeling like life is defined by pain rather than purpose
These impacts can create a pain–stress cycle, where pain increases stress, and stress amplifies pain. Breaking that cycle is central to psychological treatment.
The Psychology of Pain: Why Thoughts and Emotions Matter
Pain is not “all in your head,” but your thoughts, emotions, and attention can influence how severe or unmanageable pain feels.
Catastrophic thinking (“this will never get better”) can heighten pain signals.
Avoidance of movement can lead to muscle tension and increased pain sensitivity.
Self-criticism or hopelessness can worsen emotional exhaustion.
Psychological therapies focus on reducing the brain’s alarm response and building flexibility, so you can live a meaningful life even when pain persists.
Common Myths About Chronic Pain
There are many misconceptions about chronic pain that can add to frustration, guilt, and isolation. Understanding the truth can empower recovery and reduce stigma:
Myth 1: “Chronic pain is all in your head.”
Chronic pain is very real and involves both the body and brain. The nervous system can amplify or maintain pain even after the initial injury has healed, but this doesn’t make it “imaginary.”Myth 2: “If you move, it will make pain worse.”
Avoiding movement can actually worsen pain and stiffness. Graded, guided movement is a key part of recovery, helping retrain the nervous system.Myth 3: “Strong medications are the only solution.”
While medication can help manage pain, evidence shows that combining psychological strategies, lifestyle changes, and physical rehabilitation is often more effective in the long term.Myth 4: “If you can do some things, your pain isn’t serious.”
Pain intensity and functional ability don’t always correlate. Someone may be able to work or perform daily tasks while still experiencing significant distress.Myth 5: “You’ll never get better.”
Chronic pain can often be managed effectively. Therapies like ACT, CBT, mindfulness, and pacing strategies empower people to regain control, reduce distress, and improve quality of life.
Understanding these myths can reduce self-blame and support more effective, evidence-based approaches to managing chronic pain.
Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions for Chronic Pain
At Be Anchored Psychology, treatment is collaborative and holistic. Evidence-based approaches include:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps people live meaningfully alongside pain rather than waiting for it to disappear. It focuses on:
Developing acceptance of discomfort
Reducing the struggle with pain-related thoughts
Connecting with personal values and goals
Increasing psychological flexibility
Research shows ACT can improve quality of life and reduce the emotional impact of pain.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT addresses unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that intensify pain, such as fear of movement or catastrophising. It teaches coping strategies and problem-solving skills to manage flare-ups.
Mindfulness and Somatic Therapies
Mindfulness helps retrain the brain’s response to pain by bringing attention to the present moment without judgment. Somatic practices (like body scans, gentle movement, or breathwork) can calm the nervous system and reduce tension.
Pain Education and Self-Compassion Training
Learning how pain works can reduce fear and empower you to approach pain differently. Self-compassion practices teach kindness toward your body rather than frustration — an essential part of long-term management.
The Role of Stress and Emotion Regulation
Chronic pain and emotional stress share the same biological pathways. When the nervous system is on constant alert, stress hormones like cortisol stay elevated, increasing inflammation and muscle tension.
Therapy helps you:
Regulate emotions
Build grounding routines
Balance rest and movement
Improve sleep and self-care habits
Over time, these changes support the brain’s ability to quiet pain signals and rebuild resilience.
Rebuilding Life Beyond Pain
Healing from chronic pain isn’t about “getting rid of it” — it’s about reducing its control over your life. By retraining your brain, balancing your nervous system, and reconnecting with what matters most, you can live fully again.
At Be Anchored Psychology, we work with clients to help them:
Regain a sense of agency and control
Reconnect with valued activities and relationships
Learn tools to reduce pain-related distress
Rebuild confidence in their body and mind
If you’ve been living with pain and are ready to explore a mind–body approach, reach out today to begin your journey. You don’t have to do this alone — support, understanding, and progress are possible.