The Mind-Pain Connection

Pain Catastrophizing — When Thinking Makes Pain Worse

Pain catastrophizing refers to a pattern of imagining the worst possible outcomes about your pain.

For example:

• "This pain will never go away"
• "There must be something seriously wrong that doctors are missing"
• "I'll never be able to live a normal life again"
• "Nobody understands what I'm going through"

These thought patterns are a natural human response — they do not mean you are weak or failing. However, research has shown that catastrophizing is associated with:

• Experiencing pain as more intense than it might otherwise be
• Reduced response to treatment
• Greater limitations in daily activities

The good news: Catastrophizing is a learned thought pattern, and it can be changed. That's where cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) comes in.