More than just pain?! A systemic compass for working with people with chronic pain

Abstract

Over one in four people in Belgium experience severe physical pain. One in 10 people develop chronic pain every year worldwide. Treatment of chronic pain is based on the biopsychosocial model. Scientific views state, among other things, that pain is a threat to the social self, which is an interesting point of entry for (mental) health-care providers. Conversations with people with chronic pain are always about more than just their pain; they are interesting and cover a lot of ground. Talking about feelings of being hard done-by, clarifying the complexity of the situation, examining the body as an autonomous entity, offering psychoeducation as a hypothesis, and a general attitude of not-knowing form a compass that allows us to attune to the patient and not take up an advisory position. Living with chronic pain requires negotiating with the outside world, being allowed to care for and consider the body, and being allowed to differ from the norm and still fit in enough in a world where the body is just a background figure. An identity transformation and the effects of trauma are described. We meet Eddy and Anne, both dealing with chronic pain, who bring theory alive. The author gives an insight into her personal search and struggles as a psychotherapist introducing systemic psychotherapy in chronic pain patients.