Thoughts
Why Our Thoughts Matter
Our thoughts are a form of neurofeedback to the brain, meaning what we think, believe, and the stories we tell ourselves truly matter. These thoughts can either feed the pain–fear cycle or help reinforce safety and healing. Every thought generates a physiological response, whether it’s sweating from nerves on a date, knees shaking near a cliff’s edge, or a stomach twisting with anxiety.
Thoughts are a powerful resource we can harness for healing. We start by noticing which thoughts are keeping our system on high alert, then offering an alternate story that feels safer and more supportive. The more we practice re-framing our thought patterns, the more our brain learns to do this automatically. Over time, we can train our system to distinguish between real threats that require action and perceived threats that do not endanger our safety.
It’s important to remember that many of these thought processes happen subconsciously, outside our awareness. Our goal is to bring these patterns into the light and guide our system toward a new, healthier path.
Fear-Based Thoughts
Fear-based thoughts are a broad category of mental patterns that can keep the nervous system in a heightened state of alert. These thoughts are not always direct fears about symptoms themselves, they can also include worries, self-limiting beliefs, or anticipatory anxieties about various aspects of life. They may involve concerns about activity, travel, health, aging, finances, relationships, or the future. Over time, these thoughts can train the brain and body to expect danger, even when you are safe, reinforcing the pain-fear cycle. It is normal to have these thought processes, our goal together will be to catch these fear-based thoughts and offer a re-frame using the tools from this module.
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
Examples of fear-based thoughts:
Today will be a bad day because of my pain.
What if this gets worse?
What if they have not discovered the real diagnosis?
I won’t be able to see my friends later.
I won’t be able to enjoy my vacation.
Why do I have to deal with this?
Why can’t I be normal?
Movement is dangerous.
My body is broken.
My body is weak.
I am not capable of going back to work.
Pain is my identity.
This will work for others but not me.
What if I have cancer?
Planes are scary.
Cars are scary.
Food is harmful to me.
I can’t handle uncertainty.
I’m too old to recover.
If I rest, I’m being lazy.
If I push myself, I’ll make things worse.
JOURNAL PROMPT
What fear thoughts can you identify?