Pain Triggers Threat Responses and Depression

In this expansive and deeply affirming conversation, Linda Bluestein and Shimi Kang explore a powerful idea: true healing comes from connection, not control—especially when living with chronic pain, nervous system dysregulation, or complex, overlapping conditions.

They unpack the neuroscience of emotional regulation and why chronic pain so often disrupts attention, focus, and cognitive flexibility—issues frequently labeled as “brain fog” or misattributed solely to mood or motivation. The discussion also dives into the growing recognition of overlap between neurodivergence and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, exploring how sensory sensitivity, pain, autonomic stress, and dopamine dysregulation may be biologically intertwined.

The conversation examines how constant tech stimulation and dopamine overload can further impair resilience, focus, and emotional regulation, particularly in already taxed nervous systems. They also explore emerging research on psychedelic-assisted therapies, including how substances like psilocybin may help unlock stored trauma, shift pain pathways, and support nervous system recalibration.

From the culture of medicine to the lived experience of chronic illness, they name the often-unspoken role of shame in blocking connection, care, and recovery—inviting listeners to rethink how we relate to our bodies, our brains, and what it truly means to heal.

Takeaways:

• How chronic pain and nervous system stress impair focus, attention, and executive function

• The emerging connection between neurodivergence (e.g.; ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, dysgraphia etc.) and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes

• Why dopamine overload—from phones, apps, and constant stimulation—can worsen pain and emotional regulation

• How psychedelic-assisted therapies may help release stored trauma and alter pain pathways

• Why unspoken shame in medicine and chronic illness interferes with healing and connection

• Why whole-person healing requires honoring the brain–body–nervous system connection

Find the episode transcript here.

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