Negative Thinking: The Silent Driver of Chronic Pain
Table of Contents
Is Negative Thinking Fueling Your Physical Pain?
Pain isn’t just physical—it lives in your mind too. And the thoughts you think can either turn the volume of that pain up or reduce it to a whisper.
In Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain, Dr. Daniel Amen explains how negative thinking is one of the biggest culprits in keeping you trapped in a cycle of suffering.
Destructive thought patterns stir up feelings of anger, sadness, worry, loneliness, or being out of control. Over time, negativity can steal your peace, fuel anxiety, and lead to mental health issues like depression.
If you struggle with negative thinking and pain, you’re not alone. Research shows the human brain is hardwired for negativity.
But here’s the good news: Just as your brain can get stuck in negative thought patterns, it can also be retrained to think healthier, more positive thoughts for better pain control.
If you can correct negative thoughts, you take away their power. But when you think a negative thought without challenging it, your mind believes it—and your body reacts to it.
What Are Automatic Negative Thoughts?
Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) are the uninvited guests that swarm your mind whenever you’re in pain. They whisper things like, “This will never get better,” or “I’ll always be stuck like this.”
These negative thought patterns might seem harmless, but they’re not. They fuel chronic pain, adding anxiety, stress, and tension to an already overloaded system. ANTs amplify your suffering, turning a bad moment into an all-encompassing reality.
Related: Why Are We So Negative?
Here are the nine types of ANTs that Dr. Amen has outlined through his work with tens of thousands of patients:
| ANT Type | Description |
|---|---|
| All-or-Nothing | Thinking that things are either all good or all bad |
| Less-Than | Comparing yourself negatively to others |
| Just-the-Bad | Seeing only the bad in a situation |
| Guilt Beatings | Using “should,” “must,” or “ought to,” which triggers guilt and emotional pressure |
| Labeling | Assigning harsh or derogatory names to yourself or others, distorting reality and lowering self-esteem |
| Fortune Telling | Predicting the worst-case scenario without real evidence |
| Mind Reading | Assuming you know what other people are thinking even though they haven’t told you, which often damages relationships |
| If-Only and I’ll-Be-Happy-When | Arguing with the past and longing for the future |
| Blaming | Shifting responsibility onto others, which reinforces a victim mindset and powerlessness |
The key to breaking free is to recognize these ANTs and encourage healthier, more productive thoughts. This isn’t about blind optimism or unbridled positive thinking. It’s about building a positivity bias, the mental habit of predicting the best instead of the worst—a path to more honest thinking.
How Do You Stop Negative Thinking?
When you stop the ANTs in their tracks and replace them with positive, realistic thoughts, your brain begins to calm down. The suffering circuits that fuel pain start to quiet, allowing you to reclaim a sense of peace and control.
In Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain, Dr. Amen details how to eliminate automatic negative thoughts and replace them with more helpful thoughts. You’ll achieve a more accurate, fair assessment of any situation. This skill alone can completely change your life if you embrace and practice it.
One of Dr. Amen’s favorite techniques, which he learned from author Byron Katie, is to ask yourself, “Is this thought true?” and “Is this thought helping me?” When you notice your negative thoughts, write them down and talk back to them. Often, you’ll find that your negative thoughts are based on fear, not reality.
If you can correct negative thoughts, you take away their power. But when you think a negative thought without challenging it, your mind believes it—and your body reacts to it.
Related: 5 Physical Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Getting into the habit of questioning your thoughts puts some much-needed space between you and your thoughts. Remember that you don’t have to believe everything you think! Thoughts are automatic and often lie. Instead, you can learn to consciously choose healthier alternatives.
Choosing to think helpful thoughts makes you feel good, and choosing to think toxic thoughts leads to feeling lousy. With practice, you can learn how to change your thoughts and change the way you feel.
How Does Eliminating Negative Thinking Reduce Pain?
At Amen Clinics, people who score high on negativity bias have an increased risk of chronic pain—and also virtually every psychiatric symptom. Changing your thoughts helps you not only reduce your pain but also improve your overall well-being.
In the journey to pain relief, managing your thoughts is one of the most powerful tools you have. You will be more prepared to tackle problems with resilience and calm. Replace the ANTs with healthier thoughts, and watch as your pain begins to loosen its grip.
Amen Clinics
References
Hanson, Rick. Confronting the Negativity Bias, http://www.rickhanson.net/how-your-brain-makes-you-easily-intimidated/
Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury, “19 Best Positive Psychology Interventions + How to Apply Them,” Positivepsychology.com, March 19, 2021, https://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-interventions/