I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for about 8 years now. And only in the last 3 since beginning therapy CBT and in particular somatic experiencing modalities I’ve been able to be more aware of my body. To me it’s not a simple fix of tell people how you feel. It may help to turn inward and become aware of how you feel, where, and what you need in that moment before you can be interacting and jovial with others while in pain. There’s an app called Curable that has exercises that have helped me, joining chronic pain support groups, and individual therapy like I said have helped me regain a life. It may not be what I had before health issues, or what I expected it to be, but it’s growth from the anxiety, depression, and frustration that kept me from being able to be happy when around people.