Coping with the Mental Side of Pain
When you suffer from chronic pain, it does not only affect your physical body but also your mind, it can be difficult to come to terms with your diagnosis and live with pain on a daily basis, but below are some things that should be able to help you live well and cope with the mental side of your pain more effectively.
Learn to meditate
This might sound like a weird suggestion for people who are experiencing pain, but numerous studies have shown that chronic pain symptoms can be lessened by meditation, When you learn to meditate, you learn to focus less on negative thoughts, and since chronic pain symptoms often feel worse when you focus on them more, this can really help.
Meditation also helps you to get into better tune with your body. You can learn to lean into your pain, treat it with kindness and ultimately feel better about it even on those days when it is affecting you more badly than most.
Get some exercise
Many people with pain avoid exercise because they are worried they will cause themselves further injury and make the problem worse, but this is not always the best thing to do. If your doctor has said you are okay to exercise even if it is just lightly, then you should do so because, not only can it actually help with the physical pain symptoms, but it can release endorphins that will help to make you feel more positive about your pain too.
Speak to a therapist
Talking your feelings through with a therapist is a good way to come to terms with your pain and learn how to live with it more effectively. When you understand your pain and how to manage your feelings around it, you are less likely to succumb to painkiller use and addiction, which is so common as the addiction recovery team at Delphi Behavorial Health will tell you, less likely to suffer from depression booty your pain, and more likely to live a full life despite any pain issues you may be having. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be particularly useful for reframing your pain, but you must find the form of therapy that works best for you.
Focus on relaxation
When you are suffering from pain, it can often feel like it is impossible to relax because your body hurts and you can’t stop thinking about it, but it is so important that you do find a way to relax because it will help you to cope better with your symptoms. Some people find yoga and ta chi useful if they are able to do it, but things like massage, acupuncture and even just reading a good book that gets you out of your head can all be useful camping strategies too.
Just because you experience pain does not mean you should not be able to find peace and live a fuller life, and hopefully, the above ideas will help you to do just that.