Have you found yourself avoiding more and more activities as your pain or symptoms increase? Do you have an ever-growing list of movements, positions, or situations you need to avoid "or else"? You're not alone, and there's a fascinating explanation for why this happens.

Tanner and Anne dive deep into how chronic pain creates a shrinking world through avoidance behaviors. Drawing from Tanner's personal journey from being nearly bed-bound to fully active again, they explain the neurological mechanisms that create false associations between normal activities and pain/symptoms. These associations form what they call your "pain or symptom rulebook" – a collection of often unconscious restrictions that your brain believes will keep you safe.

The science is compelling: your brain is an association-making machine designed for survival. Just like Pavlov's dogs salivated at the sound of a metronome, your nervous system can learn to produce pain or symptoms when you engage in activities it mistakenly believes are dangerous. The more you avoid these activities, the stronger these associations become, creating a vicious cycle that keeps you trapped.

"I had so many hidden rules that I didn't realize I were doing," Tanner shares, recounting how his world gradually shrank to the point where sitting on couches felt terrifying and walking more than ten minutes seemed impossible. The irony is that this avoidance, while providing temporary relief, actually increases nervous system dysregulation and perpetuates the pain cycle.

This episode provides an eye-opening framework for understanding why simply "pushing through" or "completely avoiding" pain or symptom triggers aren't effective long-term strategies. Instead, they offer a practical exercise to identify your own pain or symptom rulebook as the first step toward breaking free from these limitations. Grab a notebook and follow along to discover the hidden rules that might be governing your life.

Ready to reclaim your freedom from pain? Listen now, and be sure to catch next week's episode where Tanner and Anne will share six powerful strategies to safely break your rules and expand your world again.

Tanner Murtagh and Anne Hampson are therapists who treat neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. They are also married! In his 20s, Tanner overcame chronic pain and a fibromyalgia diagnosis by learning his symptoms were occurring due to learned brain pathways and nervous system dysregulation. Post-healing, Tanner and Anne have dedicated their lives to developing effective treatment and education for neuroplastic pain and symptoms. Listen and learn how to assess your own chronic pain and symptoms, gain tools to retrain the brain and nervous system, and make gradual changes in your life and health!

The Mind-Body Couple podcast is owned by Pain Psychotherapy Canada Inc. This podcast is produced by Alex Klassen, who is one of the wonderful therapists at our agency in Calgary, Alberta. https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/

Tanner, Anne, and Alex also run the MBody Community, which is an in-depth online course that provides step-by-step guidance for assessing, treating, and resolving mind-body pain and symptoms. https://www.mbodycommunity.com

Also check out Tanner's YouTube channel for more free education and practices: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Fl6WaFHnh4ponuexaMbFQ

And follow us for daily education posts on Instagram: @painpsychotherapy

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