For some patients this is a harsh reality. We know that pain causes our bodies to respond physically with symptoms of anxiety, tension, and depression. These emotions are a physical response. In cases where these symptoms are not addressed and treated they become more severe, resulting in more symptoms, such as sleeplessness, loss or increase in appetite, loss of motivation, or saddened mood to name a few. When an individual is experiencing these emotional stressors, they result in more pain symptoms.
Psychologists know that thoughts are directly related to feelings.
Think of how you feel when your pain is reduced, it's a beautiful day and you are doing one of your favorite activities. Now compare that to having the same reduced pain, it's a cold and rainy day, and you just had an argument with your spouse. Chances are in the second example you would begin to experience more pain as the day progressed. This occurs because of how the person thinks about the situation. This simple process helps to reduce stress.