Chronic Pain: Is it All in Your Head?
The short answer: Yes…kind of
There’s a line in the last Harry Potter movie where Harry asks his deceased mentor, Dumbledore, if they’re really having a conversation or if he’s imagining it.
Dumbledore says, “Of course it’s happening in your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
I think of that line more often throughout my workday than I think about going home and napping. Well, maybe not more often than napping, but I think about it a lot.
Here’s why.
The mind-body connection
Our thoughts and emotions can, and often do, dictate how we feel physically. Consequently, we as humans are capable of thinking and feeling ourselves sick.
Consider this example: You just gave an important presentation at work. All week leading up to it, you felt anxious and worried about how you’d perform. You also had painful stomach cramping and intense bouts of nausea. Now that the presentation is over, you feel relieved, and your stomach issues are suddenly gone.
Did you have a stomach virus or food poisoning? No. Your stomach hurt because you felt stressed, and your thoughts and emotions drove it to hurt.
