When Pain Comes Back During the Healing Process (And Why It's Not a Setback)

If you’re using a mind-body approach like TMS healing, meditation, or emotional processing to get relief from chronic pain, there’s a moment that almost always trips people up:

The pain comes back.

You’re months into your healing journey. You’ve been doing the journaling. You’ve been meditating. You’ve broken up the relationship. You’ve made changes to your career. You’re starting to feel hopeful again. Then out of nowhere—bam—your IBS flares up, or that familiar back pain kicks in.

What do you do?

Does it mean the whole thing’s not working?

Here’s what I want you to know: this is not a setback—it’s part of the process. It doesn’t mean you’re broken or that this approach isn’t working. It means your mind and body are still teaching you how to be with discomfort in a new way.

Let me explain with my own story.

Six Months In, the Pain Came Back

I was six months into my own pain relief process—working through IBS and back pain. I’d been journaling, meditating daily, and facing a lot of the emotional and practical things I’d avoided. I ended a relationship that wasn’t aligned. I’d started reshaping my work life. I was doing “all the right things.”

Then one evening, just before going out to see friends, I was hit with severe stomach pain—just as bad as it had ever been.

I could’ve thrown in the towel. Told myself it was all pointless. Blamed food again. Said, “This doesn’t work.”

But I didn’t. I did something different.

What I Did Differently (And What You Can Do Too)

Here’s how I responded to the pain, and how you can too—whether you’re just starting or deep into the journey:

1. I Acknowledged How I Felt

I didn’t fight the feelings. I didn’t rush to soothe them away. I asked:
What am I feeling right now?

Fear. Frustration. Hopelessness. Doubt.

Just naming those emotions can be a big deal. If you’ve spent years focusing on symptoms, it’s easy to be completely disconnected from how you feel.

2. I Allowed the Emotions to Be There

I didn’t meditate to calm myself down. I didn’t journal to “fix” the feeling.
I let the fear be there. I let the frustration be there. I practiced being with the emotion in stillness—something I’d been learning for months.

This is a huge shift. It’s not about controlling the nervous system; it’s about creating safety to feel—even when it’s uncomfortable.

3. I Chose a Resilient Perspective

Instead of seeing the pain as a failure, I reminded myself:
My mind and body are working for me, not against me.

Pain isn’t punishment. It’s information. Sometimes it's just your nervous system saying, Hey—there’s something you haven’t felt yet.

4. I Got On With My Life Anyway

Despite the pain, I went out. I allowed the discomfort to come with me. And here’s the wild part:
At some point that evening, the pain went away.

That night changed everything for me. After that, pain no longer held the same power. I started to trust my body again. I became more indifferent to symptoms, not because I was trying to be—but because I'd practiced what it took to genuinely feel safe with uncertainty.

Why This Happens (And Why It Matters)

Pain returning isn’t proof the approach isn’t working. It’s usually a reminder—there’s an emotion you haven’t let yourself feel. Or you’re under stress. Or you're just human, and life is challenging.

The mindbody approach isn’t just about getting rid of symptoms. It teaches you how to deal with life: stress, relationships, overwhelm, fear, all of it.

If it’s not chronic pain, it’ll be something else—anxiety, fatigue, a tough conversation, or a flight that makes you feel nauseous. This approach gives you the tools to meet all of it with resilience and presence.

The Hard Truth: We Sometimes Self-Sabotage

I realised there were parts of me that didn't want to heal. Parts that got attention from pain. Parts that felt safer hiding. It was uncomfortable to see—but once I did, I could lead those parts differently.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about compassion and honesty.

And when you realise pain is just a signal—not a life sentence—you start to live differently.

Healing Takes Practice (And Community)

There’s an intermediate phase in this work—a stage where symptoms rise and fall, and you’ll be tempted to quit. This is when people stop journaling, stop meditating, and say “It’s not working.”

But this is when you need support the most.

That’s why I built a pain relief community—so you can post in the hard moments. So someone can remind you:
“You’re not back at square one. You’re in the middle of healing.”

You’re One Moment Away From Trusting Your Body Again

That night six months into my journey changed everything. Not because I didn’t feel pain—but because I knew what to do with it.

Now, whether it’s IBS, back pain, anxiety, or fatigue, it doesn’t faze me. I trust my nervous system. I trust that pain has a message. And I know how to respond.

You can get there too. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just learning a new way of being—with your body, your emotions, and your life.