Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
Hi everyone. I'm Morwen and I've been suffering from chronic pain for 8 years now. I've tried so many things to deal with my pain that it's gotten frustrating to the point of wanting to give up trying to find help.
I recently got back into therapy and my new therapist recommended that I start what's called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT. It's designed to help people restructure the way they think about things that they can't change. He said this is especially helpful for people who have chronic conditions and chronic pain.
I've only just started the therapy but I've already started to notice some differences, so I wanted to share it with everyone to try to help my fellow chronic pain sufferers. So I'll share some of the exercises that I've been given in therapy and some great resources that I've found as well.
I'll divide this into several posts so that it doesn't turn into one overwhelming one. I'll include some resources and explain the therapy exercises that I've done so far in the following posts.
I recently got back into therapy and my new therapist recommended that I start what's called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT. It's designed to help people restructure the way they think about things that they can't change. He said this is especially helpful for people who have chronic conditions and chronic pain.
I've only just started the therapy but I've already started to notice some differences, so I wanted to share it with everyone to try to help my fellow chronic pain sufferers. So I'll share some of the exercises that I've been given in therapy and some great resources that I've found as well.
I'll divide this into several posts so that it doesn't turn into one overwhelming one. I'll include some resources and explain the therapy exercises that I've done so far in the following posts.
This is comment is insulting in so many ways to anyone whose life is a constant string of one surgery after anohter. LIKE ME!
"the only problem is one more surgery"
Sound like you have not had that many. How can you possibly understand what it is like to be constantly "recovering"?
It is a nightmare to struggle thru one surgery after another after anohter, pain meds that don't work, anesthesia that fails, no pain relief in post op, praying the pharmacy can fill the script for the pain meds at home, struggling to the bathroom when pain is overwhelming, waiting tfor meds to work, throwing up from strong ones. Doctors who use procedures that cause problems themselves.
I just had one this morning. It is no fun! Life lived htis way is constant planning and torment, reserach and struggle to find a surgeom treats you like a partenr in your health instead of acting like god who knows best no matter what the patient wants.
How can a therapy help if you are imagining what life is like on the other side without sufficient data? "only problem is one more surgery" implies that there is little understanding. How does one learn from guessing?
That is like me saying, "wonder what my life would be like if all I ever had to deal with was endometrosis".
Dang...you're tense, bud...
I think this is aimed at Morwen having to have one more surgery...?
I know from reading your other posts that your life has been a nightmare of one surgery after another, and I cannot possibly express enough sympathy for you. I would never wish anyone to have to have surgery all the time.
This exercise was given to me because I have currently had 6 surgeries, on April 23 I go in for my 7th, and there is a very, very high chance that I will be diagnosed with a disorder that means for the rest of my life I will need surgery every 1-3 years.
I can't say that I know what all you've been through, but I do know surgery is not some joy ride fix all. I've had complications from every surgery that I've gone through, one of which nearly resulted in my death. My own horrible experiences with surgery were the reason for the exercise.
I'm sorry that my wording and sharing of one of my therapeutic assignments offended you. I wish you a quick and safe recovery.
i know we all snap. i hope you feel better. and think about this. i post prayers, someone posts goals, we all post support and tonight i posted my little worry over a shot of cortisone. there isn't a guideline about whoever is winning the pain contest or how it can be addressed. and i'm not putting this in a PM so it is seen by the whole group and not an attack.
morwen, i apologize. i appreciate what you've shared and think it will help a lot of us.
hugs and love
Thank you for taking the time to share this. I wish you the best results possible. Hugs, Marci
And I want to say that I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this thread. This type of therapy is supposed to be able to apply to any problem you have, depression, anxiety, OCD, Chronic Pain, PTSD, all of it. So I really hope that some of you are getting benefits from this thread.
This week's homework is to complete the worksheet called "What Have I Given Up for Anxiety This Week" Here is a link to it. http://jamesdrew.net/Forms/What_Have_I_Given_Up_for_Anxiety_This_Week.pdf
I am also supposed to have my fiance Natalie help me by reading a guided acceptance meditation. I will post the guided meditation in my next post since it is kind of long.
Also, from couple's therapy, I thought this would help. We're working on self esteem and so we're supposed to keep a thought record to begin to realize how many times a day we put ourselves down, and try to replace that thought with at least one positive one. Here is the worksheet for that: http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/ThoughtRecordSheet-SelfEsteem.pdf
1. Go ahead and get in a comfortable position in your chair. Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor, your arms and legs uncrossed, and your hands resting in your lap (palms up or down, whichever is more comfortable).Allow your eyes to close gently [pause 10 seconds].
2. Take a few moments to get in touch with the movement of your breath and the sensations in the body [pause10 seconds]. Bring your awareness to the physical sensations in your body, especially to the sensations of touch or pressure, where your body makes contact with the chair or floor [pause 10 seconds].
3. Now, slowly bring your attention to the gentle rising and falling of your breath in your chest and belly. Like ocean waves coming in and out, your breath is always there. Notice its rhythm in your body [pause 10 seconds].Notice each breath. Focus on each inhaleand exhale [pause 10 seconds]. Notice the changing patterns of sensations in your belly as you breathe in, and as you breathe out [pause 10 seconds]. Take a few moments to feel the physical sensations as you breathe in and as you breathe out [pause 10 seconds].
4. There is no need to try to control your breathing in any waysimply let the breath breathe itself [pause 10seconds]. As best you can, also bring this attitude of generous allowing and gentle acceptance to the rest of your experience. There is nothing to be fixed, no particular state to be achieved. As best as you can, simply allow your experience to be your experience, without needing it to be other than what it is [pause 15 seconds].
5. Sooner or later, your mind will wander away from the breath to other concerns, thoughts, worries, images, bodily sensations, planning, or daydreams, or it may just drift along. This is what minds do much of the time. When you notice that your mind has wandered, gently congratulate yourselfyou have come back and are once more aware of your experience! You may want to acknowledge briefly where your mind has been (Ah, theres thinking or theres feeling). Then, gently escort your attention back to the sensation of the breath coming in and going out [pause 10 seconds]. As best you can, bring a quality of kindness and compassion to your awareness, perhaps seeing the repeated wanderings of your mind as opportunities to bring patience and gentle curiosity to your experience [pause 15 seconds].
6. When you become aware of bodily sensations and feelings, tension, or other intense sensations in a particular part of your body, just notice them, acknowledge their presence, and see if you can make space for them [pause 10 seconds]. Do not try to hold on to them or make them go away [pause 10 seconds]. See if you can open your heart and make some room for the discomfort, for the tension, for the anxiety, just allowing them be there [pause 10 seconds]. Is there enough space in you to welcome in all of your experience? [pause 15 seconds]
7. Watch the sensations change from moment to moment. Sometimes they grow stronger [pause 10 seconds],sometimes they stay the same [pause 10 seconds], and sometimes they grow weakerit does not matter[pause 10 seconds]. Breathe calmly in to and out from the sensations of discomfort, imagining the breath moving in to and out from that region of the body [pause 10 seconds]. Remember, your intention is not to make you feel better but to get better at feeling [pause 15 seconds].
8. If you ever notice that you are unable to focus on your breathing because of intense physical sensations of discomfort in your body, let go of your focus on the breath and shift your focus to the place of discomfort. Gently direct your attention on and into the discomfort and stay with it, no matter how bad it seems [pause 10seconds]. Take a look at it. What does it really feel like? [pause 10 seconds] Again, see if you can make room for the discomfort and allow it to be there [pause 10 seconds].Are you willing to be with whatever you have? [pause 15 seconds]
9. Along with physical sensations in your body, you may also notice thoughts about the sensations and thoughts about the thoughts [pause 10 seconds]. You may notice your mind coming up with evaluative labels such as dangerous or getting worse. If that happens, you can thank your mind for the label [pause]and return to the present experience as it is, not as your mind says it is, noticing thoughts as thoughts, physical sensations as physical sensations, feelings as feelingsnothing more, nothing less [pause 15 seconds].
10. To help you experience the difference between yourself and your thoughts and feelings, you can name thoughts and feelings as you notice them. For instance, if you notice you are worrying, silently say to yourself, Worrythere is worry just observing worry and not judging yourself for having these thoughts and feelings [pause 10 seconds]. If you find yourself judging, just notice that and call it Judging ... there is judging and observe that with a quality of kindness and compassion [pause 10 seconds]. You can do the same with other thoughts and feelings and just name them as planning, reminiscing, longing, or whatever you experience. Label the thought or emotion and move on [pause 10 seconds]. Thoughts and feelings come and go in your mind and body. You are not what those thoughts and feelings say, no matter how persistent or intense they may be [pause 15 seconds].
11. As this time for formal practice comes to an end, gradually widen your attention to take in the sounds around younotice your surroundings [pause] and slowly open your eyes with the intention to bring this awareness to the present moment and into the upcoming moments of the day.
Thank you, Morwen.
This is great stuff Morwen! keep it going!