Tame Your Pain

Have you ever known anyone who was always in pain and continually complaining about it? Many of us with chronic illnesses find considerable challenges associated with understanding and overcoming pain. By no means is this designed to be a medical directive or guide. It simply occurs to me that my methods of understanding and overcoming chronic pain may be useful to others.

One of the worst responses to pain is anguishing over it and discussing it at great length. A popular nursing home cliche refers to an assembly of seniors sitting around comparing aches and pains. "My knee hurts." "Both of my knees hurt." "Oh yeah? My knees and my back all hurt."

Do yourself a favor and don't indulge in this. My personal commitment to the people around me is to minimize comments regarding pain. It does no good whatsoever, to anyone. Whining doesn't alleviate your pain and it is likely to make the people who love you uncomfortable because they are unable to effect any sort of relief.

Beyond this, channel your energies so that you don't have time to analyze and scrutinize your pains. With your doctor's permission, of course, take a long walk, sit in a spa or find a train to take for a long and relaxing ride. The whole idea is to take your focus from your pain and direct it to something or some activity that is not painful. There are numerous ways to achieve this, the first of which has to do with physical activity.

In addition to involving your body in a non-painful action, do the same for your brain. Take up a new hobby (collecting, art, book club, travel) that will engage your mind and your heart. I understand that it is difficult to crochet when your fingers and hands hurt, but find another creative pursuit that generates less stress on your joints. Sewing may be an option, or photography or cactus gardening.

Likewise when it concerns your lower body. If it's painful to walk, ask your doctor about joining a low-impact exercise class. Coordinate with a group of friends or colleagues and make it that much more enjoyable. Distraction, distraction, distraction. Learn to cook with a wok. Learn a foreign language. Study the process of creating French pastries.

This is not deposited as magic or voodoo. But I am certain that the less time one has to focus on discomfort, the less pain there is to mitigate. There is a way to talk yourself out of your anguish by thinking about healing, creating and giving to others. Devote yourself to charitable works; volunteer in a nursing home, spend some time in a children's center or serve food to the homeless.

As soon as you begin thinking about a condition such as arthritis, you will become acutely aware of the pain in your joints. Somehow it becomes easy to redirect that thought pattern to another direction, muting the pain and subordinating it to something that feels much better. By no means do I suggest ignoring pain because that can be damaging. Replace it and live a happier life.

The gains are considerable. Your friends and family will encounter a happier, less anguished you. And you will have a sense of conquering a condition that becomes a given rather than a defining force.