Table 3: Themes identified and corresponding exemplar quotes.

Deductive theme Exemplar quote
(A) Group experience "It really makes you feel like you are not experiencing
chronic pain by yourself; it also helps with the guilt,
knowing I am not the only one".
(B) Skills "Listening to each other and even between us (gestures
to caregiver) empathy and self-analysis and the
non-judgment that was pretty important. I don't
feel as judgmental of myself".
(C) Disease management "I think if you balance with diet and medication,
other medications maybe like you know antidepressants
different vitamins and exercise and just mindfulness,
then if you do a lot of these things, and you do
them all together you reduce your level of pain".
(D) Commitment "You know yesterday I sat for three hours in the
dentist chair and my back was cramping. I was in
excruciating pain, and all I was thinking was
follow my breath you know…it worked about 40%".
(E) Treatment "It would be nice if there [sic] could be longer,
like 2 hours for talking and what not and maybe
an hour of mindfulness".
Inductive theme
Stigma "Because there was [sic] a lot of discussions how
everyone felt like a criminal asking for pain
medications, have jump through all the hoops they
do so it's not only a social issue, it's a stigma,
you know?".