How to live with chronic pain

Back pain, headache, arthrosis, fibromyalgia – chronic pain is different and may not leave us for years. It seems endless, interferes with work, poisons personal life, affects mood and memory.

When we encounter pain, our receptors respond by sending signals to the brain. You can get rid of acute pain by drinking painkillers, or just wait until it goes away on its own. But chronic pain is different. The brain continues to receive signals even after the cause of pain is eliminated. Pain caused by chronic conditions can range from mild to unbearable. She is often accompanied by exhaustion or overeating, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances.

It does not matter what exactly hurts: if the treatment is over, but the pain remains, it becomes chronic, and it is difficult to cope with it. A person does not recover, even if doctors do not find signs of illness in him. The thing is that our highly sensitive nervous system continues to react, even when there is no reason for pain. This does not mean that it is exclusively in our heads. It’s a neurological process that determines our reactions. Its mechanisms must be understood and used to your advantage.

Stay Active

Our lifestyle and eating habits affect the nervous system that responds with pain. Many are so afraid of pain that they refuse to exercise, but at rest it only increases.

In order not to harm yourself, increase the load gradually – then the body will have time to adapt. Walking is very helpful. This simple form of physical activity does not require any cost or preparation.

Write a physical activity plan for each day. Get up at the same time. And be sure to get enough sleep: lack of sleep makes us more sensitive to pain and stress.

Control your thoughts

Pain limits, leads to stress and breakdowns. It is very difficult to look positively at the world if she does not let go for a minute.

Chronic pain affects every aspect of our lives. Patients begin to doubt the ability of doctors to help. Angry at themselves for not being able to get rid of suffering. They delve into the past in search of a reason, ask themselves what they deserved such pain. The anxiety and depression generated by the pain only exacerbate the symptoms.

The only way out is to control thoughts. Do not let yourself lose heart, look for pluses in your condition. Our thoughts reflect what we feel. Remember that pain does not kill us. She is not an enemy to fight. The more you fight her, the stronger she becomes.

understand your pain

Learn to manage pain with relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, and meditation. Find something that helps you calm down and let go of the pain. Do not go in cycles in thoughts about it, it is better to accept it. Understand what and what you think. Understand: our consciousness often distorts reality, makes it darker, which in turn increases pain.

Stop blaming yourself

“Once I realized that everyone in one way or another faces health problems. And, realizing this, I stopped blaming myself for suffering from chronic diseases. This brought me great relief. I no longer think that life is unfair to me, ”recalls psychologist Anna Nogales.

It is difficult to deal with pain day after day. And if we blame ourselves for what happened, the pain enslaves us, makes us vulnerable and lonely. But this can happen to anyone. Pain is part of life. You don’t have to wait for recovery to start living. Yes, chronic pain imposes some limitations, but this is not our fault.

Accept that life is unpredictable

“Unfortunately, not everything and not always turns out the way you want. Pain changes our plans, makes us give up. However, I prefer to openly look at the world, rather than deceive myself and endlessly experience disappointments, ”shares Anna Nogales.

Life is unpredictable, it is not always possible to control absolutely everything, sometimes circumstances are stronger than us. Look at things soberly. Openness and honesty allow you to look at the world with gratitude, no matter what happens in life. It’s hard, but that’s the only way you can come to terms with yourself.

Recognize that being alone is okay

Due to chronic pain, many have to leave work and limit their social life. Such changes can be traumatic. They make us feel disconnected from life.

With the right approach, you can turn loneliness into a peaceful solitude. There is nothing wrong with feeling lonely sometimes. When this happens, you need to take loneliness for granted and use it to your advantage: read good books, listen to music, meditate, write, learn something new.

Find a way to connect with people

Even in the last century, seriously ill people could only write letters to each other and send them by mail. Then the telephone appeared. In addition, it was possible to invite friends to visit, if suddenly it was not possible to get out of the house.

You can call, write and meet now. But other than that, there’s an easy way to communicate with others, even if you can’t walk. The Internet makes it possible to send messages by e-mail, start a page on social networks, write in chats and forums. You can communicate with other seriously ill people, find an interest group, start a blog. Stay up to date with the latest news and even work from the comfort of your home.

Learn to be happy for others

Rejoice for those who can afford more than you. This joy will give strength and help you feel better.

The ability to be happy for others needs to be trained. Start with those who have achieved a lot in a field that you are not interested in, such as winning a gold medal in a competition or an award at a film festival. Be happy for them. If it worked out, rejoice for those who are nearby. Let you also want to go to the movies, dance, run a marathon, but you can’t yet, but they can. Feel their happiness.

It’s not easy, so you have to practice. “When my husband and daughter went to my favorite musical, at first I felt only envy and resentment, but then I managed to turn painful emotions into joy and felt happy – as if they went to the performance for me,” says Anna Nogales.

Be kind to yourself

This is one of the most effective ways to get along with pain. Meanwhile, for many, it is not obvious that one must first of all be kinder to oneself, because it is much easier to reduce the suffering that chronic pain brings. It is easier for others to sympathize, but we ourselves deserve compassion.

Do not engage in self-criticism if something was said or done wrong. You already spend a lot of energy on fighting pain – so do not aggravate the situation with self-condemnation. Never forget that despite being hurt, you deserve to be happy. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.