Building Resilience Podcast Episode 219: Unlearn Your Pain with Dr. Howard Schubiner
Introduction
- Hosted by: Leah Davidson
- Special Guest: Dr. Howard Schubiner
- Focus: Understanding chronic pain and Mind Body Syndrome
- Leah's background: Certified life coach, speech language pathologist, and nervous system resilience expert
- Leah's guided journal "Resilience" available on Amazon under the brand "Resilient Brilliance"
About Dr. Howard Schubiner
- Internist and Clinical Professor at Michigan State University
- Author of over 100 scientific publications
- Author of books like "Unlearn Your Pain" and "Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression"
- Developed Emotion Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)
Understanding Pain
- Traditional belief: Pain indicates something wrong in the body
- Revolutionary understanding: Pain is created by the brain
- Brain processes pain similarly to vision and hearing; pain can be real without physical injury
- Brain's danger signal can trigger pain without physical injury
Differentiating Between Pain Types
- Medical evaluation to rule out active disorders
- Conditions that fit the functional, inconsistent, and triggered (FIT) criteria are likely neuroplastic
- Structural vs. neuroplastic pain: structural pain is due to ongoing physical disorder, neuroplastic pain is learned by the brain
Neuroplastic Pain
- Pain without injury possible (e.g., headache from stress)
- Brain learns associations that trigger pain (e.g., helicopter noise linked to past injury)
- Conditioned responses: Brain can create pain based on learned triggers
Emotion and Pain
- Emotional experiences can trigger pain (e.g., feeling rejected, threatened)
- Emotions linked to survival instincts; unprocessed emotions can cause physical symptoms
- Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) helps process and release emotions safely
Treatment Approaches
- Pain Reprocessing Therapy: Rewires neural circuits to reduce pain
- Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy: Addresses underlying emotional issues
- Self-care: Relationship with oneself can influence pain, emphasizing self-compassion
Challenges and Hope for Recovery
- Not all treatments are 100% effective
- Chronic conditions like childhood trauma, negative self-treatment need addressing
- Hope and belief in recovery play critical roles
Conclusion
- Key takeaways: Maintain hope, be open to new models, practice self-compassion
- Resources: Dr. Schubiner's website with free resources, courses, and materials
Note: Dr. Schubiner is writing a new book (coming 2026) and seeking testimonials from people who have benefited from his work.