Ciatica SOS Some time ago, I attended a presentation by psychiatrist M. Scott Peck. He talked with mental health providers about his struggles with neck pain, a problem that had plagued him for years. An operation resolved some of his pain, but he felt that there might be some negative underlying belief that was also contributing to the problem. He ultimately concluded that he was a conflict-avoider, lacking the ability to appropriately assert himself, refusing to "stick his neck out." Physical illnesses can be intensified by self-defeating underlying thinking that is a metaphor for the chronic condition experienced. For example, people with back pain may at times lack the "backbone" to express their thoughts and feelings courageously. Individuals with gastrointestinal problems may not be unable to "stomach" certain intolerable thoughts and feelings. People with headache syndromes may experience beliefs and thoughts about events that make them want to say, "Life is making my head hurt." Eating disordered people may experience core assumptions such as, "I'm so angry that I could just vomit, or if I monitor my weight and eating habits, at least it's one area in my life that I can control!" People with neurological pain such as inner ear disorders may exacerbate their pain by experiencing thoughts of panic such as, "Oh my God, here it comes again, that nasty, annoying pain. I'll never get over this because the volume in my life is turned up too high." Anxiety, panic, and depression are typical characteristics associated with physical pain. The more effectively one manages these symptoms, the less troublesome the pain may be. Learning to cope with anticipatory anxiety by rationally responding ("Ok, I know that this pain can be troublesome, but when it comes I will do my deep breathing and manage just fine!"), or dealing with panic ( "When a wave of pain comes, I'll just go with it. It's not a big deal, my scary feeling are time-limited, they'll be over soon"), and managing depression ("Just because I feel awful doesn't mean I can't do things to stay active and make me feel involved") are important ways of adaptively responding to pain. http://quantumvisionsystemreview.org/ciatica-sos-libro/