Managing CPPS Anxiety:Breaking the Pain-Anxiety Cycle
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 Episode 53: Managing CPPS Anxiety: Breaking the Pain-Anxiety Cycle
Summary: In this episode of the Pelvic Pain Matters Podcast, Karl Monahan introduces the concept of "Anxious Alistair" - a way to understand and manage the anxious part of ourselves that affects CPPS/prostatitis symptoms. He shares practical strategies for breaking the pain-anxiety cycle, drawing from his personal experience with social anxiety and nearly 9 years of successful symptom management.
Key Takeaways
- Anxiety existed before pelvic pain and will exist after recovery
- Understanding anxiety as a character helps create healthy distance
- The pain-anxiety cycle typically follows predictable patterns
- "Feel the fear and do it anyway" approach builds confidence
- Mindfulness practice helps manage anxious thoughts
- Avoiding activities due to anxiety can reinforce fear patterns
Topics Covered Anxiety management, pain-anxiety cycle, mindfulness techniques, social anxiety, recovery strategies, behavioural patterns, confidence building, fear response, symptom management, lifestyle modifications
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 Transcript
Pelvic Pain Matters Podcast - Episode 53: Managing CPPS Anxiety: Breaking the Pain-Anxiety Cycle
[00:00] Karl: Hello listeners, my name's Karl Monahan. This is a Friday Takeaway - bite-sized chunks of information to help you navigate your pelvic pain. I'm the owner of the Pelvic Pain Clinic and founder of Pelvic Pain Matters. Having suffered with this condition in my mid-20s, I'm now coming up to 9 years since my last flare-up, which only lasted four days.
[00:45] Today we're continuing our theme of looking at the mind. Not saying this is all in your head - you're not making this up. But understanding the role of the mind gives us more opportunities for recovery.
[01:15] In episode 53, I want to introduce you to "Anxious Alistair" - a character that represents a part of yourself. I learned about these different aspects of ourselves from my mentor Jamie Cau, author of "Insanely Gifted." While the book isn't about pain, it helps understand different parts of our personality.
[02:00] Who is anxious Alistair? He's a character that exists before, during, and after your pelvic pain. He's chatty, worried, and tends to catastrophize. He makes up worst-case scenario stories that aren't necessarily true, but are based on beliefs and messages we've collected over time.
[03:00] I spoke with a patient yesterday about how anxiety fuels pain, which fuels more anxiety - creating a cycle. He's discovered his anxiety cycle lasts three days. Remarkably, he's now reached a point where he can experience anxiety without pain - they've become "uncoupled."
[04:00] The key is recognizing when anxious Alistair appears. He means well but is often misinformed. When facing situations like social events or travel, he'll tell you all the things that could go wrong. The solution isn't to avoid these situations - that only gives him more power. Instead, "Feel the fear and do it anyway."
[05:00] Mindfulness can be incredibly helpful here. It teaches you to sit with uncertain thoughts and let them pass. Remember, anxious Alistair will always go away again - 100% of the time. The goal isn't to eliminate him but to reduce his power over your actions and pain experience.
[06:00] Next week, we'll look at fear and the amygdala - a region of our brain linked with catastrophization and rumination. Until then, take care of yourself.
[06:15] I'm Karl Monahan, and this has been episode 53 of Pelvic Pain Matters.
