Newsfeed > Chronic Pain: A Mindbody Disorder
Chronic pain affects about one third of the U.S. population, and is the most common cause of long-term disability. The number of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers has increased dramatically in recent years-- as have opioid addictions and accidental overdoses.
This week at NCP, we examine chronic pain from a different perspective--its relationship to processing emotions, as well as a treatment approach from a relational psychoanalytic perspective.
October 17's Scientific Meeting, Chronic Pain: A Mindbody Disorder, brings psychoanalysts Frances Sommer Anderson, PhD, SEP, and Eric Sherman, PsyD, to NCP, where they will present what they have learned in the past 40 years about chronic pain and its relationship to processing emotions. Karen Kay, PhD, PsyD, a member of NCP who has studied PPD for 20 years, will facilitate discussion with members of the audience.
Dr. Anderson’s presentation will be “No Longer Afraid to Feel: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Disrupted Early Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Somatic Pain.” She will use interviews with two people who had chronic pain to illustrate her relational psychoanalytic perspective.
Dr. Sherman will discuss the role of anger, rage and other emotions in the development of chronic psychophysiologic pain disorders. In presenting “It’s Not All the Rage, All the Time,” he will acknowledge the foundational work of the late John E. Sarno, MD, who was Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Rusk Institute-NYU Langone Medical Center, as well as noting recent developments in this field. Based on his observations of people in pain beginning in the early 1970's, Dr. Sarno identified chronic pain as a mindbody disorder, which he named “Tension Myositis Syndrome" (TMS). He subsequently changed the name to “Tension Myoneural Syndrome,” which is also referred to as Psychophysiologic Pain Disorder or PPD.
Those interested in a small-group exploration of these topics may join one of two workshops, Pathways to Pain Relief Master Class, to be held on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19, from 10 AM - 3:30 PM. Enrollment for these dates is limited to 25 and the same material will be presented on both dates. Please register for only one date.