If I know someone with chronic pain, I have not talked to them enough for them to tell me. So, unfortunately, its all storybook and research for me.
Drug addiction would be prevalent, I'm sure, as would alcohol. *Does a quick google* yep. But also, overeating is used as an unhealthy mechanism, which is surprising to me. I've already got three, but I just want to share-- metal state goes into this as well. Apparently people can end up doing something called "catastrophizing" where they focus on the pain, and therefor it gets louder, therefor you focus on it more and then they can get trapped in a cycle. Wow that's rough.
Healthy ways to combat chronic pain include meditation and yoga, surprising no one. As does "guided imagery" which is the advanced version of "going to your happy place" via sensory imagination. I think I do that last one whenever I'm sensory overwhelmed, just never knew it was an actual therapy.
I have absolutely no idea what genes are targeted, and I don't have a clear place I could start looking. I will check the TED talk video for sources, but that sounds like gnome-science science paper stuff, which, because of how tired I am currently, would be akin to reading ancient Yiddish. *does that* ok I'ma scream it doesn't specifically mention anything. And I googled it and I was right. It's yiddish. Whatever the gene that isn't present in painless people. That one.
Being that stress is a part of the pain process, I bet tobacco/nicotine would be a drug that could temporarily lessen pain. According to biologist Roberto Ciccocioppo, nociceptin definitely works, and doesn't have debilitating downsides (that we know of)!
I think that believing you can control it, or that it doesn't matter lessens the psychological effects of it. On the other hand, knowing that it will happen no matter what you do, and thinking of it as a punishment or some other judgement on you specifically makes pain much worse. Like. When you get hurt in sports or a fight, the pain response to getting hit is disproportional to how that same injury feels when inflicted as a punishment. A plastic sword to the arm is equal in damage to a wooden spoon, but one hurts more because of psychological mechanisms. Therefore, I think the "tough" generation was tough because they thought they could commanded their physical matter into not mattering. Silly, but it worked I suppose.
Nociceptin: Nature’s Balm for the Stressed Brain | Scripps Research. [accessed 2020 Apr 26]. https://www.scripps.edu/news-and-events/press-room/2014/20140108roberto.html
Pate J. 2019. The mysterious science of pain. [accessed 2020 Apr 26]. https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-mysterious-science-of-pain-joshua-w-pate.
Myers Wyatt. 2012 Jun 29. The Best and Worst Ways to Cope With Pain - Pain Management Center - Everyday Health. [accessed 2020 Apr 26]. https://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/the-best-and-worst-ways-to-cope-with-pain.aspx.
and here is the source I couldn't read because Tired.