If you want to reduce your heightened anxiety as a major source of chronic pain, then recognize and modify these two, negative thoughts. Often, they crystallize into your having constant worry and your focusing on the worst- case- scenario as your ultimate, future prediction. Consequently, any probability of a positive outcome or of recalling past, positive experiences when you didn’t have so much pain, is negated.
Your continuing to obsess is a magical way your mind believes it can have control over the future.
How you can change these two, negative thoughts is by first, self-monitor and recognize when your thinking this way; second, ask yourself rational questions to these thoughts based on probabilities versus certainties and past, positive times when you didn’t have so much pain; third, generate adaptive, rational responses that will lower your anxiety; fourth, focus on the present more than the future; fifth, realize that just because you may have no control about the future doesn’t mean you’re a helpless person.
