Choice is Everything to Stop Chronic Pain
Is perfectionism good? Is anger good? Is being controlling good? Is being hard on yourself good? Is being compulsive good? Is being dependable good?
The answer is it depends. There are times when any of the traits above are useful. There are times when any of these traits are not useful. Can you think of when anger might be helpful? Can you think of when people pleasing might be helpful?
The secret is choice. We should consciously choose when we want to take on a specific character trait.
When people are in chronic pain, they are unaware of their character traits and they are acting on impulses, without consciously choosing.
To make a conscious choice you must allow yourself to feel how you feel being that character. And only after that, you can consciously choose if this is the right moment to be that character.