Tug of War with Your Pain?
Date: 23rd July 2026 | By: Dr Lourdes Gaspar
Stuck in a Tug-of-War with Your Pain?
Imagine you’re in a tug-of-war.
On the other end of the rope is your pain. You’re pulling with all your strength, trying to beat it, control it, or make it go away.
The harder you pull, the harder it seems to pull back. You become exhausted. Your energy, attention, and time are consumed by the struggle.
This is the essence of the ACT “tug-of-war” metaphor.
What if winning isn’t about pulling harder?
What if the way forward is to drop the rope?
Dropping the rope doesn’t mean giving up or accepting defeat. It means stopping the constant battle with pain and redirecting your energy towards the things that truly matter to you: family, friendships, hobbies, work, purpose, and living in line with your values.
Pain may still be present, but it no longer gets to dictate every decision you make.
At ACTforPAIN, we help people develop practical skills to step out of this exhausting struggle and build a rich, meaningful life alongside chronic pain.
The question is: what could you do today if you weren’t using all your energy pulling on the rope?
If you’re involved in chronic pain management, learn more on our practitioners programme.
#ChronicPain #ACTforPain #AcceptanceAndCommitmentTherapy #PainManagement #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #Wellbeing #Mindfulness #LivingWellWithPain