Scientific research confirms that repetitive negative thoughts (RNTs) can contribute to or cause chronic physical pain. Once pain becomes established, it tends to create more RNTs as the mind attaches stories to the pain, such as “When will this end?”, “Why is this happening to me?”, “I can’t take this anymore,” and “Why can’t doctors find anything wrong with me?” These mental narratives feed and sustain the pain through a process called pain memorization. When pain lasts for more than three to six months, it’s a clue that it may have become memorized. In some cases, the pain may have started with a minor injury that healed, but the memorization process can prolong it for years afterward.
If you are skeptical about pain memorization, a clear example is “phantom limb pain,” where amputees report feeling pain in pre-amputation lesions—in a limb that is no longer there. Diabetics with painful, non-healing wounds often continue to experience the same pain even after amputation, and it can persist for months or even years. The amputees who experience this emphasize that they are suffering real pain, which they can describe in vivid detail, and insist that the experience is not imagined.
The mind and its RNTs can be like a freight train without brakes—once it starts moving, it’s hard to stop. It is very difficult to stop RNTs directly; however, becoming “the observer” of them is relatively easy. When you can observe your thoughts and emotions, a small space forms between you and them. This space separates you from your thoughts and feelings, causing them to lose their power over you and gradually quiet down on their own. It’s like a freight train that eventually coasts to a stop when its engine runs out of steam.
Becoming “the observer” takes practice and doesn’t happen overnight; however, anyone can learn to do this. At first, the gap between you and your thoughts will be small and fragile, but with practice, the gap will expand, and one day you’ll be able to observe your thoughts and feelings as if they belong to someone else. The traditional way to become “the observer” is through meditation. However, practicing traditional meditation can be very difficult when you’re in severe pain. Typically, meditation teaches you to focus on inner physical sensations like your breath, but when your body is screaming with pain, you won’t want to turn inward. Physical pain is a strong distraction, making it nearly impossible to follow your breath or other bodily sensations. Fortunately, there are alternatives to traditional meditation that can help you overcome this challenge.
Expressive writing has been called “mechanical meditation” because it achieves many of the same benefits as traditional meditation, such as helping you separate from your thoughts and feelings and boosting your awareness. However, expressive writing is much easier to do when you’re experiencing intense physical pain. This involves sitting in a chair once or twice a day for 15 minutes to write down any thoughts or feelings that come to mind. It is essential to use pen and paper (not a computer), disregarding spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness. During this time, you express your most private and uncomfortable thoughts. You can use shorthand or even symbols to convey your thoughts and feelings.
Once you have finished writing, you tear the paper into small pieces and throw them away so that no one will ever see them. This final step is crucial so you can write freely and without self-censorship.
Writing twice a day is the most effective approach. In the morning, your thoughts may be quite different from those in the evening. Writing just before bed is especially helpful—it allows your thoughts to settle, making it easier to fall asleep.
Expressive writing creates a separation or space between your eyes and the words on the paper, and between your hands and the words you write. The final act of tearing up, shredding, and discarding the paper helps bring about a more complete separation. As a result, you become “the observer” of your thoughts and emotions rather than identifying with them—leading to a degree of freedom from them and greater awareness.
Awareness is your connection to reality, while thoughts and feelings can often be misleading. RNTs are not only unhelpful—they can also be harmful. Anything that remains outside your awareness can control you, whereas anything within your awareness can be managed and controlled. Expressive writing helps bring thoughts that lie beneath the level of consciousness into full awareness. Awareness allows you to see the folly and useless nature of RNTs, so you begin dropping them like you would a hot coal that is burning your hand.
Once RNTs begin to quiet down, your nervous system has a chance to reset, and pain gradually becomes unmemorized. When your nervous system resets regularly, your inner body feels lighter and more transparent. The heaviness and tension you’ve been holding in your gut, your heart, and throughout your body will start to pass through you. This new sense of lightness will be noticeable throughout the day, even when you’re engaged in a task or using your mind constructively.
Expressive writing has been the turning point toward healing for many people suffering from chronic physical and emotional pain. If you are experiencing pain that has lasted more than three to six months, I implore you to spend fifteen minutes twice a day jotting down your thoughts and feelings. If you have tried traditional meditation, such as following the breath, and given up, this will get you back on track. If you have religious objections to traditional meditation, expressive writing will achieve the same benefits. If your mind races like a herd of wild horses and you can’t slow it down, this is the way to gently take control. If you are looking for a single pill to free you from physical and emotional pain without side effects, this is the closest thing you will find.
There is no limit to the types and intensities of pain RNTs can cause. I personally experienced severe migraines, chronic lower back and neck pain, chronic tendonitis in my elbows and ankles, hand and foot neuropathy, temporomandibular disorder, prostatitis, difficulty swallowing, digestive problems, and more. My story of becoming trapped in chronic pain and finding freedom is shared in my book “Your Brilliant Mind: Wonderful Servant or Wicked Master?”