People stay stuck in all sorts of ways. I know several chronic pain patients who try a few methods, such as massage or heating pad, get little or no relief and give up. They don't learn self-hypnosis, mental imagery yoga, or relaxation techniques, believing that a pill or surgery may help more. Those sorry creatures are often stuck in old rigid patterns of repressed anger and mental pain, which, also, exacerbate their experience of physical pain and discomfort. It's a vicious cycle between the physical and mental. It's hard to leave one's comfort zone. People don't want to face their fears, but once they do, there's a surge of power and control.

Take the woman who suffered from Lupus and back pain, then reviewed the abuse she experienced as a child, found some understanding and forgiveness surrounding her old, inner anguish and fnally opened herself up to new pain management techniques which worked for her. She still had Lupus and was medically-treated to the extent possible, but her attitude and openness to life were so much better that she began to live more fully, despite continued health issues. The mind helps the body, then the body helps the mind.