Idealist, you are right about how that is one of the best descriptions of what long term severe chronic pain patients go through. It is a process we go through to come to terms with our pain and our lives.

Rick, For years I used a positive approach to my pain, one that I learned as a dedicated weight lifter and athlete. Pain was part of something good going on and was the reason I could deal with extreme pain and still continue working. However, even the 'right mental' approach gets overwhelmed by enough pain that last long enough. Now I use a good mental approach to keep my pain med dosages down and still be able to struggle through each day. There is a limit on how much we can tolerate even if our pain tolerance is high.