This is a first post in a 2-part series.

How might non-pharmacological approaches, such as positive psychology, offer tangible hope for those who experience chronic pain?

My research team has been tackling this question from multiple angles. I am grateful for two experts on the team, Drs. Joel Jin and Joel Wong, who provided valuable thoughts on the psychology of chronic pain and the role of gratitude. In part one of this blog post series, Dr. Jin will share responses about chronic pain and some psychological tools to cope with it. In part two, Dr. Wong will explain what gratitude is and articulate its role in helping people manage chronic pain.

Paul Youngbin Kim: **What is chronic pain? What is a misunderstanding that people might have about chronic pain? *** *

Joel Jin: Most of us think of pain as a temporary alarm system—a sharp sting when we touch a hot stove or the dull ache of a healing bruise.

But chronic pain is different. It is generally defined as pain that persists for three months or longer, outlasting the typical healing time for an injury.

It isn’t just a symptom. For the roughly 50 million adults in the U.S. living with it, chronic pain is often a condition in its own right.

What surprises many people—and even some clinicians—is that chronic pain isn’t always about physical damage. We often assume that if something hurts, something must be broken.

However, chronic pain often involves central sensitization. This is where the nervous system becomes stuck in a high-alert state. The brain continues to produce a pain signal even after the initial physical injury has healed.

Understanding this shift from damage to sensitivity is the first step toward effective management and healing.

PYK: How can chronic pain affect the person cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, relationally, and spiritually?

**JJ: **Chronic pain acts like a volume knob turned up on every aspect of life. It is rarely just a physical sensation.

Emotional & Cognitive Impact: It often leads to a cycle of anxiety and depression, as the constant drain on energy makes it harder to regulate mood. Many also experience brain fog, where the mental effort required to manage pain leaves little room for focus.

Relationships & Identity: Pain is often a hidden burden. A person may withdraw from social gatherings because they cannot predict their pain levels. This leads to isolation or a sense of being misunderstood by loved ones.

Spirituality: Even one’s spiritual life can be shaken. It is common to grapple with profound questions of "why me?" or feel a sense of abandonment by one’s faith.

Because pain impacts our ability to work, play, and sleep, it can slowly chip away at a person’s sense of identity. Healing must be whole-person, addressing the mind and spirit alongside the body.

PYK: For those experiencing chronic pain and reading this blog post, what is one thing that they could try today that can help them to cope with their pain better?

**JJ: **If you are struggling today, one of the most powerful tools you can use is a technique called affect labeling.

When pain flares, our brains often spiral into secondary suffering. This is the anxiety, frustration, or fear that follows the physical sensation.

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This emotional distress signals the nervous system to stay in a state of high alert, which can actually intensify the physical pain. To break this cycle, try the following:

• Acknowledge the feeling: Instead of trying to fight or ignore the distress, simply name it without judgment.
• Speak it out loud: When you feel a spike in anxiety, say to yourself: I am feeling anxious about this flare, or I am feeling frustrated that I have to rest.

Research suggests that labeling an emotion can dampen activity in the amygdala, which is the brain’s alarm center.

By naming the emotion, you move from being consumed by the feeling to observing it. This lowers the emotional volume, helping your nervous system feel safer and making the physical experience feel more manageable.

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*This blog post was shaped by conversations and work made possible through a CCCU Networking Grant (Planning).*

*Dr. Joel Jin is an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. He is a co-author of Deliberate Practice in Multicultural Therapy, published by the American Psychological Association. Follow Dr. Jin’s work at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeljin. *