Tell Me About Your Pain Curable and Alan Gordon LCSW

Every chronic pain sufferer is searching for the key that will finally unlock their recovery. In the final episode of Tell Me About Your Pain, callers from all over the world share the tools that have been most effective in reducing or eliminating their symptoms. Alan and Alon also talk about the various techniques they’ve covered throughout the podcast, and Alan reveals the single concept that was most important in overcoming his own pain.

Alan and Alon talk to Christie Uipi, Director of the Better Mind Center, who recently participated in a groundbreaking study on the treatment of chronic pain. Christie explains how they treated the patients in the study and what the results mean for the future of chronic pain. Christie also talks about her own struggles with chronic symptoms (knee pain, wrist pain, stomach issues) and how she overcame them. Alan, Alon, and Christie discuss the power of 'No' - a word that's difficult for many chronic pain sufferers. And finally, Christie reveals what she thinks is the single most important thing for overcoming pain.

Fear is the fuel that keeps chronic pain alive. But as many pain sufferers know, it's hard to overcome that fear when it feels so powerful and so automatic. In this episode, Alan and Alon explain how to teach your brain to turn off the fear by introducing a new concept: corrective experiences and setbacks. Alan talks to Sue, who suffers from multiple painful symptoms, and Christie, who feels pain whenever she types. These sessions provide real life examples of corrective experiences and setbacks in action. Finally, Alan and Alon explain how you can use corrective experiences to help your brain unlearn the fear and deactivate your pain.

Alan and Alon talk about the role of emotions in chronic pain. They discuss the benefits of tapping into difficult emotions, and provide a simple and effective technique for doing so. Alan talks to Ginger and Chris who are having trouble connecting with their feelings, and he helps them feel their emotions in a safe way. Finally, Alan talks to Mandi and reveals the one emotion that every chronic pain sufferer needs to address.

Many chronic pain sufferers know the heartbreak of working so hard on their recovery, but not seeing any improvement. In this episode, Alan talks to Paula who's endured chronic headaches and dizziness for two years. Paula has tried everything from medication to meditation, but nothing has worked. Alan helps Paula realize that her approach has been the opposite of what she actually needs to heal. Alan and Alon discuss the common pitfall that's kept Paula stuck and explain how pain patients can get past it to finally find relief.

In this episode, Alan and Alon explain how making your brain feel safe deactivates chronic pain. Alan talks to Laura, a pain sufferer who's been in "danger mode" for many years. Due to her past experiences (getting bullied as a child) as well as the way she treats herself (pressure and anxiety), her brain feels very unsafe. Alan guides her through a somatic technique that calms her brain and puts it in "safe mode." Finally, Alan and Alon explain how you can use this technique to make your own brain feel safe, and overcome your pain.