TITLE

Speaking of Psychology: Healing pain by treating the mind

(Article, Podcast, Audio, and Video available)

DESCRIPTION

“For many chronic pain sufferers, effective treatment remains elusive, with doctor’s visits, medications and even surgeries giving little in the way of relief. But in recent years, research by psychologists and other scientists has begun to suggest that for at least some people, the answer to chronic pain may come not from healing the body, but from treating the mind….What does that mean? How does it work? What’s the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about pain and the actual pain that we feel? What does pain look like in the brain? Why do placebos work? And how can we use what scientists are learning about the brain basis of pain to develop effective new treatments for it?” 

SOURCE

American Psychological Association, January 2022,  by Tor Wager, Ph.D.

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/healing-pain

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/yeyk64rh

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•What is pain?  (Please frame your answer in terms of the “complexity” concept not just a simple definition.)

•The article/podcast describes a new type of treatment called PRT “pain reprocessing therapy.”  How does this treatment work?

•The article discusses research on the placebo effect.  What has been found in terms of the effectiveness?  Why are some people more susceptible than others to the placebo effect?

•The end of the article/podcast suggests further readings for coping with pain:  what are these books and how effective are they for suffers of chronic pain?