Secondary gain is a benefit received during the process of changing a painful behavior, emotion or physical state. Holding onto this new found pleasure will get in the way of the painful primary change. Example: a person might enjoy the cheerful interaction of a physical therapist while overcoming an injury or surgical procedure. So they don’t do the home part of their therapy which prolongs the length of recovery and allows mire interaction with the therapists. Can you think of other things where the primary focus has been lost?
