What is alexithymia, and how does it relate to pain? Alexithymia is a personality trait whereby the person has a diminished capacity to process emotions. These individuals may not have the ability to describe feelings with language. They may not recognize how they feel in response to experiences. They may attribute their response to external …
What is somatization, and how does it relate to pain? Somatization is the process whereby emotional stress and/or adversity are converted into physical symptoms. Somatization occurs when a physical experience cannot be fully processed in the mind. It is important to appreciate that somatization may be a normal process in response to an unexpected situation …
What is the difference between pain and suffering, and what is the role of suffering in pain? Suffering is a high level of distress that poses a danger to the patient’s view of their life. Pain almost always creates suffering. Each person’s conception of suffering is unique and relates to personal history, relationships, ideals, experiences, …
How can psychotherapy help to adjust to pain How does a person adjust to pain and how can psychotherapy help this process? Once pain becomes chronic and medical treatment has been maximized, the patient will need to develop an acceptance of their condition and reorient their identity to include the experience of pain. Over-reliance upon …
What are the differences in the psychology of acute versus chronic pain? Acute pain involves an evolutionary-based survival mechanism to repair damaged tissue through sympathetic nervous system activity and inflammatory processes. The emotions generated in acute pain are anxiety, fear, disorganization, and uncertainty. Acute pain is self-limited, and the underlying condition most often responds fully …
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How does culture play a role in the experience of pain? A person’s cultural background—that is, their ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, and social practices—will influence how they experience pain. Pain may be thought of differently in differing social contexts. It may be regarded as a necessary aspect of human life or a punishment for …
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What can psychoanalysis contribute to pain psychology? Sigmund Freud created psychoanalysis from his work as a neurologist with patients who had “pain without lesion”—a concern of 19th century physicians. Psychoanalytic theory has much to offer pain psychology. Unconscious factors in emotional life—such as repressed memories or traumas, unresolved conflicts, unprocessed emotions, and ineffective mechanisms of …
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