Why Fearful Perfectionism Makes For Really Harmful Behaviour In Chronic Pain Healing

So.... I know it sounds simple and almost impossible to understand how you can possibly be indifferent to your symptoms when you're in so much agony that you feel like you're basically dying.

And how can our focus on our suffering be perpetuating our suffering anyways? Bogus as hell right? 

... Nope.

This is why perfectionism is bad for chronic pain recovery.

It's our continual attention on our mindbody symptoms and our suffering that drives our fear. Those vigilant and fearful states activate the sympathetic nervous system - our stress response. When our stress response is constantly active and we're stuck in this hyperaroused, hypervigilant state, our symptoms have an endless source of fuel and the symptoms keep on firing.

If we are constantly sending threat signals to the brain from our reaction towards our symptoms, then the fear > pain cycle continues to spin.

Changing our mindset towards symptoms, trusting in the process and completely abandoning preoccupation with suffering is the hardest AND most important piece of the energy you put into your recovery.

Literally and lovingly close a door on the thoughts. Over and over and over until your brain catches up and realizes there was nothing to fear all along. 

Check out this free guided somatic tracking I have for you to get started!

I know it's a lot to take in, especially if you're at the beginning of your healing journey, figuring everything out.

Somatic Tracking is a technique used in Pain Reprocessing Therapy to reassure safety with curious indifference, which uses your neuroplasticity to heal from the pain experience instead of sink deeper into it. 

So, let go of perfectionism, let go of attachment to a particular outcome...

Instead welcome your pain, accept it as the kind message of care that it's meant to be, and be with it in curious indifference.