Living with chronic pain can make your life full of anxiety and stress. Moreover, incorrect information, negative attitude, and fear can make the situation worse. If you are suffering from this condition, then read on to find out how to deal with chronic pain.
Accurate diagnosis
The first thing to do is to find out what kind of chronic pain you are suffering from. Chronic pain is not like a random back ache or a sprain in the ankle. It is a deep-rooted problem caused due to a combination of physical, neurological and psychological problems. Sometimes, physical pain can also be a result of emotional reactions such as anxiety, depression and fear. For example, if you are suffering from chronic headaches, it may be because you are stressed about your work or your relationships and that mental anxiety is really causing you the physical pain and giving you headaches. Therefore, you need to first find out the actual cause of your chronic pain if you want to deal with it successfully and easily. For this, you need to consult your doctor and tell him all the symptoms of your pain. Your doctor will analyze your symptoms and conduct tests to diagnose your chronic pain accurately.
Acceptance
Once you know the kind of chronic pain you are suffering from, the next step is to accept this pain as part of your lifestyle now. Because chronic pain is so unpleasant and terrible to deal with, you find yourself wishing it had never happened to you. Although thinking like this might give you temporary relief, it is not a permanent solution to your problem because the fact is that you indeed are suffering from chronic pain. Therefore, you need to face the reality, accept it and find constructive ways to deal with it. Accepting your condition does not mean only acknowledging it emotionally and mentally. It also involves making such in changes in your lifestyle that help you in dealing with the chronic pain better. Also, sharing your condition with family and friends will enable you to get their support as well in dealing with the pain.
Treatment
If your chronic pain is very severe, your doctor will recommend certain medical treatments for you. They could either be in the form of medicines, exercise, or even surgery. Always listen to your doctor and take his advice before deciding on the treatment. Taking a second opinion from another doctor is also a good idea as it will help you in making an informed decision. Read up as much as you can about your condition and ask your doctor any queries you might have about your chronic pain or the treatment methods suggested by him. Make sure you have a healthy and open relationship with your doctor. This means that you should be able to freely discuss your condition with the doctor.
Lifestyle changes
As mentioned above, you need to incorporate some lifestyle changes once you know you are suffering from chronic pain. Make sure you get adequate amount of sleep and rest. More often than not, being tired and over-worked can give you a lot of pain, which then over time turns into chronic pain. Even if you donât feel sleepy, just lying down quietly for some time, listening to music, taking a hot bath, or even meditation will make you feel more relaxed and give your body time to recuperate. Just because you have pain does not mean you should stop doing any kind of activity due to the fear of aggravating your pain. Avoiding activity will not stop the pain; instead, it may even increase your pain because of muscle inactivity. Engaging in some form of exercise will be very helpful; however, make sure you consult your doctor regarding the type of exercise suitable for you.
Divert your mind
Find something to do that distracts your mind away from the pain. Pick up a new hobby or go back to an old one, which you were not doing because of âlack of timeâ. It could be anything from gardening, dancing, playing a sport and so on. Engaging in your hobby will take your mind off the pain for some time, which means that you are one step closer to dealing with your chronic pain. For some people, taking up such hobbies can be difficult if they have restricted movement because of their chronic pain. Such people can pick up hobbies such as reading, singing, playing video games or board games, which do not require much moving around and yet will keep their mind off the pain.
