Fear and Chronic Conditions
In our first two blog posts in this series, we explored real-life stories of clients who found lasting relief from chronic pain through a combination of Pain Reprocessing Therapy and gentle Somatic Therapy. At Davidson Yoga Therapy, these are powerful tools we use to help clients break free from the cycle of pain and reclaim their lives.
In this third post, we’re diving into something that affects nearly everyone dealing with
chronic pain or other stress-related conditions: Fear symptoms.
You may be familiar with these, even if you don’t call them by that name—foggy brain, restless nights, changes in appetite, and even digestive issues. Perhaps the most important symptom we’ll focus on today, though, is how your breathing changes when you’re caught in a cycle of fear and stress.
To illustrate this, imagine two animals on opposite ends of the spectrum: a wounded animal, anxious and agitated, and a well-fed lion, relaxed and at ease. These two creatures can help us understand how our own breath patterns play a critical role in regulating fear-based symptoms and, ultimately, in healing from chronic pain.
The Wounded Animal vs. The Well-Fed Lion
Picture a wounded animal: its breath is high, fast, and shallow. Its eyes dart around, scanning for threats. Shoulders tense, heart racing, it’s always on high alert. In this heightened state, basic bodily functions start to break down—digestion halts, sleep becomes elusive or excessive, appetite shifts wildly, and the immune system goes haywire.
This is the body in a state of fear, agitation, and survival.
Now, on the other end of the spectrum, imagine a well-fed lion, basking under the sun in the middle of Africa. The lion’s belly is full, its breath is deep and slow, and its body is
relaxed. There's no rush, no fear, no panic—just calm. The lion naps easily, digests without issue, and moves through its day with ease.
The lion represents a state of rest and recovery, a body and mind functioning in harmony.
When we think about fear symptoms—foggy thinking, poor sleep, digestive disturbances, immune issues—it’s as if we’re living in that wounded animal state.
Our breath becomes shallow and restricted, signaling to our body that it’s not safe to relax, heal, or recover. But by learning to regulate our breath, we can start to shift out of this constant state of stress and move toward the calm, balanced state of the well-fed lion.
The truth is, most of us live somewhere between these two extremes—neither fully activated nor fully at ease. However, by consciously working on breath regulation, we can shift ourselves closer to that state of calm, improving not just our breathing, but also our digestion, sleep, immunity, and overall well-being.
The Brain’s Role in Fear Symptoms: Beyond the Amygdala
We all know the amygdala as the brain’s “fear center.” It’s responsible for our fight-or-flight response, the same one that keeps the wounded animal on high alert. But when fear and stress become chronic, they don’t just impact the amygdala—they start to disrupt other key parts of the brain as well.
In a chronic “wounded animal” state, communication between the amygdala and areas like the Prefrontal Cortex and nucleus accumbens begins to break down. The Prefrontal Cortex
is crucial for rational thinking and emotional regulation, while the nucleus accumbens is tied to reward and motivation. When these areas become disregulated due to chronic activation, we’re not just feeling more stressed—we’re also less able to think clearly, less able to feel joy, and more prone to chronic pain and other symptoms.
This isn’t just theory; it’s something we can see. Studies using fMRI scans have shown real changes in these parts of the brain in people who experience chronic fear, anxiety, and pain.
In fact, these changes are now known to be predictors of whether pain will turn into a chronic condition. When our brain is stuck in this “wounded animal” mode, it perpetuates the cycle of fear, stress, and pain, keeping us locked in survival mode.
But here’s the good news: these changes aren’t permanent. Just as the brain can adapt to chronic stress, it can also rewire itself back to a state of calm and balance. That’s where Pain Reprocessing Therapy comes in.
Pain Reprocessing Therapy: A Path to Rewiring the Brain
While living in a constant state of stress can disrupt our brain’s natural balance, it’s also possible to reverse those changes. Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) offers a proven method for calming the “wounded animal” and helping the brain return to its natural, regulated state.
PRT works by teaching the brain that the pain it perceives as a threat is, in fact, safe. Over time, this retrains the brain’s fear centers and rewires the pathways that have been stuck in a feedback loop of stress, pain, and fear. The Prefrontal Cortex and nucleus accumbens can regain their proper function, allowing for clearer thinking, emotional balance, and a return to normal body regulation.
This isn’t just theory; it’s backed by scientific research. The Boulder Back Pain Study, for example, showed remarkable results. Patients who had lived with chronic pain for an average of 14 years reported little to no pain after just six weeks of Pain Reprocessing
Therapy. What’s more, these results lasted long after the therapy had ended—many patients were still pain-free a year later.
fMRI scans taken before and after therapy revealed significant changes in the very brain centers we’ve been discussing, showing that PRT helped restore balance and reduce pain on a neurological level.
By combining Pain Reprocessing Therapy with techniques like gentle somatics and, breath regulation, we can help move people from the stressed, agitated “wounded animal” state toward a calmer, more balanced place—closer to that well-fed lion who has no trouble sleeping, digesting, or thriving in the wild.
Offer
Davidson Yoga Therapy is now offering PAIN REPROCESSING THERAPY.
Book your free 30 minute consultation on my SCHEDULE page.
About
Samantha brings warm-hearted wisdom and humility to her work, believing the answers you seek are inside you. She has always felt a deep call to honor the role suffering plays as a catalyst to personal metamorphosis.
experience with somatics (SOM), Jungian psychology (JPT), interfaith perspectives, spiritual technologies, trauma healing, polyvagal techniques such as the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model and Safe and Sound Protocols, Compassionate Inquiry (CI), Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), and the Neurosequential Model (NSM).
All this is to say, there are many doorways to use on the path to healing and self-discovery, and Samantha’s breadth of experience allows for vast creativity on which approach is right for you!
Samantha seeks to be a facilitating witness to patterns of movement, thought, feeling, and behavior that can both prevent and create physical pain and emotional suffering at conscious and unconscious roots.
She aims to empower people from 6 to the age of 99 to trust their inner wisdom, allow new layers of self-compassion to emerge, and achieve positive transformations in their careers, relationships, and overall lives.
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