Fear
 What if I told you that, besides being generally unpleasant (to put it mildly), pain can also be deceiving and misleading? Yes! Pain can play tricks with our heads and fill us with thoughts that can be harmful and hold us back from getting better.
Here are two of the most powerful mind tricks that pain plays on us (they may surprise you!):
Catastrophizing |
 By Dr. Peter Abaci
If you’ve seen the regular stream of stories in the media about the “opioid epidemic,” the thought of starting an opioid pain medication might make you a little uneasy. But if you are scheduled for an elective surgery, dental work, or experience an acute injury, your doctor is likely to prescribe one – an estimated 1 out of every 5 patients with non-cancer pain are prescribed opioids by their doctors. So how can you make sure... |
 Read about the national needs assessment that was conducted in almost 2,000 individuals across 6 key stakeholder groups in the U.S., and published in Pain Medicine earlier this year. Learn why a major solution to the pain treatment crisis includes better integration of pain education into mental health education at all levels of training.
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 Think of pain as being your “harm alarm,” a signal that is designed to get your attention, to motivate you to escape whatever is causing it. After all, pain—potential harm—could mean injury or even death. In this way, pain serves a useful purpose because it is functions to keep you safe and alive. This all works quite well if you simply cut your finger while dicing vegetables for dinner. |
 With the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) opening its doors to psychologists in 2015, the pain community has been witnessing a shift in how these healthcare professionals are being included in annual pain conference symposia. |
 In late January 2016, Pain Medicine published the article "Pain Psychology: A Global Needs Assessment and National Call to Action." The article is available free of charge here. |
Health advice to my younger self |
This is Health Revolution Radio, today's topic: Combat and PTSD
Guest Speaker: Dominic Certo
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 Power-over-Pain handouts were guided by the following book, a valuable source for understanding and managing pain: Turk DC, Winter F. (2006). The Pain Survival Guide: How to Reclaim Your Life. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association
Learning from Others
People who develop self-confidence along with their pain possess the following characteristics: Read the full handout below:
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This is Health Revolution Radio, today's topic: What Motivates You
Guest Speakers: Heather Elledge and Arielle Bivas
Image courtest of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Pages
Contest will run September 23-30
Testimonials:
“This book is a powerful tool for patients who don’t understand why the pain management system needs changes....Dr. Abaci lays out the compelling reasons for this and backs [them] up with [his] personal experiences as a pain-management provider and as someone who has faced living with chronic pain himself.”
— Barby Ingle, president, Power of Pain Foundation
"Conquer Your Chronic Pain is a must-read for anyone living with pain. Following Dr. Abaci’s simple steps, you will learn important tools to not only manage (and heal) pain, but also reclaim happiness, purpose and overall wellness in life.”
— Paul Gileno, founder & president, U.S. Pain Foundation
Q&A session
Wednesday, 9/21 - 5 p.m.
Join the author, Dr. Peter Abaci in Los Gatos, CA for a Q&A session. We will be discussing this book as well as pain-awareness month.
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