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Distraction and Reframing
Distraction is the strategy of focusing one's attention on stimuli other than pain or the accompanying negative emotions.310; 313 Distractions may be internal, for example, counting, singing mentally to one's self, praying, or making self-statements such as "I can cope," or external, for example, listening to music as an aid to relaxation,40; 344 watching television, talking to family and friends, or listening to someone read. Distraction exercises often include repetitive actions or cognitive activity, such as rhythmic massage or the use of a visual focal point. Distraction may be used alone to manage mild pain or as an adjunct to analgesic drugs to manage brief episodes of severe pain, such as procedure-related pain.
A related technique, reframing or cognitive reappraisal, teaches patients to monitor and evaluate negative thoughts and images and replace them with more positive ones. For example, patients who are preoccupied with a fear of pain can be encouraged to use positive self-statements to facilitate coping (e.g., "I've had similar pain and it's gotten better"). Reframing can add to patients' feelings of control over their situations.
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