Reddit reviews Managing Chronic Pain: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Workbook (Treatments That Work)

My therapist has a book on techniques for managing chronic pain. Here it is. There's a section on mantras/relaxation techniques and how to condition your body to go into a state of relaxation when you hear a certain sound or phrase. Haven't tried it yet but the theory behind it seems solid.

Totally agree here. I went through a workbook with my therapist that explains the concepts and gives examples of the strategies. Ultimately, it takes a lot of time and practice to even recognize when you're in a negative thought pattern, never mind correcting it. Even knowing that some of these mental processes that seem overwhelming have names (i.e. catastrophizing) was really helpful to me.

For me I think reframing it in a way that makes sense to me works the best. I think of myself as a rational person. So when I make sweeping negative statements about myself that I wouldn't apply to someone I love, I ask myself, is that a rational thought? It's not. And because that does not align with my view of myself as a rational person, that makes it easier to reject. I also keep a pain/symptom journal so that when I start catastrophizing that "I'll never feel better again" I have an objective measure of my pain level and can point to recent times where I felt better and was able to do more.