---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is my impression that 'pain-killing'…"
description: "\"It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.\" — John E. Sarno"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg"
---

#  It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the…

![“It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.” quote by John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg)

> “It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.”

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Pain‑killing drugs may lift mood without truly relieving pain, suggesting psychological factors in symptom relief.

**In simple terms:** Drugs lift mood, not pain.

Key Takeaway

Address underlying causes, not just symptoms.

Themes

health pain psychology medication

Mood

informative clinical

Type

medical psychological

When to use this quote

- chronic pain management
- medical treatment
- mental health

Key Concepts

mind‑body connection placebo effect patient perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What non‑pharmacological methods help you?
- Can mood improvement alone ease pain?

A Different Perspective

Relying on medication can mask deeper issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drugs Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs-improve-4890232/) [Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression/) [Injury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injury/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-drugs-3122751/) [Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood/) [Mood Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood-away-4890233/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-killing-3693771/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Patient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patient/) [Patient Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patient-mood-4890231/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/)

## Related quotes

> [“If ignorance about the nature of pain is widespread, ignorance about the way pain-killing drugs is even more so. What is not generally understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/if-ignorance-about-the-nature-of-pain-is-widespread-ignorance-about/)

[Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/)

> [Everything in life is not all beautiful, not all fun. There is lots of killing and drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/everything-in-life-is-not-all-beautiful-not-all-fun-there-is-lots-of/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [If you want to get people off drugs, improve reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/if-you-want-to-get-people-off-drugs-improve-reality/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [Advocates of psychiatric drugs often claim that the medications improve learning and the ability to benefit from psychotherapy, but the contrary is true. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/advocates-of-psychiatric-drugs-often-claim-that-the-medications/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [“power (volition of inanimate nouns): Some drugs will improve the condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/power-volition-of-inanimate-nouns-some-drugs-will-improve-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We must learn to recognize nature's truths even though we don't understand them, for some of those truths may still be beyond the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/we-must-learn-to-recognize-nature-s-truths-even-though-we-don-t/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [I've always written poetry but I didn't realise it was a therapy for me until I was maybe 15. That's when my singing started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-winehouse/i-ve-always-written-poetry-but-i-didn-t-realise-it-was-a-therapy-for/)

[Amy Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-winehouse/)

> [I'm a massive scaredy cat. I'm scared of being in a fast car, I'm scared of being on a rollercoaster, I would never go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/i-m-a-massive-scaredy-cat-i-m-scared-of-being-in-a-fast-car-i-m/)

[Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/)

> [I'm in therapy, and I think everyone should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/i-m-in-therapy-and-i-think-everyone-should-be/)

[Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/)

> [“You’ve been talking about me in therapy?”“In therapy, in my sleep, in AA, in chat rooms, to strangers,” I said. “Women like you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lister/you-ve-been-talking-about-me-in-therapy-in-therapy-in-my-sleep-in-aa/)

[Michael Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lister/)

> [The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/the-first-principle-of-cognitive-therapy-is-that-all-your-moods-are/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/)

[Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/)

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

## More by John E. Sarno

> [It is perfectly acceptable to have a physical problem in our culture, but people tend to shy away from anything that has to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-perfectly-acceptable-to-have-a-physical-problem-in-our-culture/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [We must learn to recognize nature's truths even though we don't understand them, for some of those truths may still be beyond the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/we-must-learn-to-recognize-nature-s-truths-even-though-we-don-t/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“The decision maker in the brain has decided that the overt expression of unbridled rage would ruin the person’s life, and to prevent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/the-decision-maker-in-the-brain-has-decided-that-the-overt-expression/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/there-s-nothing-like-a-little-physical-pain-to-keep-your-mind-off/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“I described a program that is in wide use across the country to treat chronic pain. It bears repeating here that treating pain is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/i-described-a-program-that-is-in-wide-use-across-the-country-to-treat/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [A knowledgeable physical therapist can slowly build up patients' confidence by reassuring them that there is no structural problem and reminding them of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/a-knowledgeable-physical-therapist-can-slowly-build-up-patients/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“he decides that bringing up children is the woman’s job, his children are in trouble. Either”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/he-decides-that-bringing-up-children-is-the-woman-s-job-his-children/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“To understand the phenomenon of avoidance in TMS one must constantly bear in mind how radically the unconscious mind differs from its conscious counterpart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/to-understand-the-phenomenon-of-avoidance-in-tms-one-must-constantly/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [Most doctors are uncomfortable with medical conditions that have a psychological basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/most-doctors-are-uncomfortable-with-medical-conditions-that-have-a/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [... it is highly unlikely that a structural derangement could produce pain equal in severity to acute muscle spasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-highly-unlikely-that-a-structural-derangement-could-produce/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“Acknowledging the important role of the emotions in health and illness, medicine must reexamine its concepts of disease causation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/acknowledging-the-important-role-of-the-emotions-in-health-and/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“What one must then do is develop the habit of “thinking psychological” instead of physical. In other words, I suggest to patients that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/what-one-must-then-do-is-develop-the-habit-of-thinking-psychological/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [“The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality. • The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation. • TMS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/the-pain-is-due-to-tms-not-to-a-structural-abnormality-the-direct/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [... our diagnosis and treatment of of tension myositis syndrome represent yet another instance of what is possible when the power of the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/our-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-of-tension-myositis-syndrome-represent/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

> [... surgery is a powerful placebo, perhaps the ultimate placebo. The effectiveness of a placebo is directly proportional to the impression it makes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/surgery-is-a-powerful-placebo-perhaps-the-ultimate-placebo-the/)

[John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

[Explore all 16 John E. Sarno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/)

## More Drug quotes

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

[Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/)

> [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/)

[Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/)

> [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/)

[Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/)

> [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

> [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [You find out so many interesting things when you're not on drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/you-find-out-so-many-interesting-things-when-you-re-not-on-drugs/)

[Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/)

[Browse all 3,904 Drug quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John E. Sarno"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-drugs-improve-the-patient-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Drug"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-drugs-improve-the-patient-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/john-e-sarno-31157_drug_it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-dr_3020896.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.” — John E. Sarno",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John E. Sarno",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is my impression that 'pain-killing'...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-drugs-improve-the-patient-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-drugs-improve-the-patient-s/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
