We are biopsychosocial-spirtual beings. Meaning that we are complex organisms that are made up of many different parts, each unique and valid to us.
Pain is not a thing. It is a contextual, multi-factorial conscious experience. All of the different aspects of our selves influence our pain experience. Our pain experience is influenced by all of the different aspects that make up our self.
Drawing from Yogic philosophy, I have expanded the current recommended medical framework (the biopsychosocial model) from which most competent health professionals approach pain treatment, to a more comprehensive model that encompasses all parts of our Self, within our environment. This extended model allows healthcare professionals to incorporate the (just as important, yet less tangible) aspects of people’s lives such as spirituality, religion, intuition and embodied consciousness.
These different parts are:
The BIOLOGICAL self: PHYSICAL HEALTH, DIET, ILLNESS, DISEASE, GENDER, SEXUALITY, AGE, RACE, SLEEP, GENETICS, MEDICATIONS, DIAGNOSES
The PSYCHOLOGICAL self: COGNITIVE FUNCTION, EMOTIONS, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, BEHAVIOURS, SELF ESTEEM, CONFIDENCE, CULTURE, BELIEFS, FEARS, TRAUMA, STRESS, PERCEPTION, COPING SKILLS, PERSONALITY, MEMORY, LEARNING
The SOCIAL self: WORK, FAMILY, SPORT, SUPPORT, EDUCATION, FINANCES, DISCRIMINATION, ACCESS, ABILITY, DISABILITY,
Yogic additions:
The SPIRITUAL self: INTUITION, CONSCIOUSNESS, RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY, WHO AM I?, PSYCHIC MIND, ‘MIND BEYOND THE MIND’, ‘GUT FEELING’, TRUTH, UNIVERSE
The ENERGETIC self: VITALITY, CAPACITY, BREATH, ENERGY, CONNECTION, ESSENCE,
When we experience pain, every part of our Self influences our symptoms and how we respond to them (our behaviour) and also associated suffering (our feelings). In turn, our pain experiences influence every single aspect of our Self.
Our nervous, immune and endocrine systems are constantly modifying to best represent our state of being within the context our our environment, to keep our Self intact and safe from threat or harm (potential or real).
Think of it as an amplification modulation system, if one area is amplified, other areas are likely to be amplified, This is to help keep us safe and protect us, to draw attention to complex needs we may have (ie. pain and potential injury or distress). If we are in a bad or negative mood, we are more likely to experience pain. If we are having a hard time at work, if our boss is being unreasonable, we are more likely to experience pain.
Likewise, if we are experiencing pain, it is very easy for it to affect our mood, our ability to concentrate at work or perhaps our self esteem.
These contextual influences become more important and relevant the longer that pain persists.
While this concept may sound overwhelming and incredibly challenging, it is really great news. These many complex factors mean that instead of just looking for ONE simple cause of our pain, there are many different aspects that we can work towards becoming aware of, each bringing us closer to living a life of freedom from pain.