SoloEpisode 191 · August 24, 2025

Fighting Pain Made It Worse — Here's What Finally Worked

ACT & Behavior ChangePain NeuroscienceLifestyle MedicineMindfulnessPsychology of Pain

Fighting pain made things worse. Acceptance gave him his life back. Tom's Facebook Group In this powerful episode, Tom Bowen shares how chasing a cure for chronic pain left him anxious, depressed, and stuck. Only when he shifted focus—from fixing pain to living well—did real change begin. • How endless referrals and surgeries fueled hopelessness • The mental shift that helped him reclaim control • What “acceptance” really means (and doesn’t mean) • Practical strategies that became second ...

The Modern Pain Podcast

Episode 191

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Fighting pain made things worse. Acceptance gave him his life back.

Tom's Facebook Group

In this powerful episode, Tom Bowen shares how chasing a cure for chronic pain left him anxious, depressed, and stuck. Only when he shifted focus—from fixing pain to living well—did real change begin. • How endless referrals and surgeries fueled hopelessness
• The mental shift that helped him reclaim control
• What “acceptance” really means (and doesn’t mean)
• Practical strategies that became second nature
• How purpose and advocacy pulled him forward Ready to go deeper? Subscribe for weekly clinician insights - @ModernPainPodcastBe notified when we re-open enrollment forPain Practice OSso you can learn how to help people like Tom -

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About the Guest

Tom Bowen

Pain advocate/author/strategist

Tom Bowen is a pain advocate, educator, author, and self-management pundit with 14 years of lived chronic pain experience. He shares what he has learned during his personal journey and his time at an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program to educate both patients and providers via a resource

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