Chronic Pain
Feeling Hopeless: Ellie’s Story
It’s been months since I had more than a couple good days in a row.
I’ve tried everything my doctors offered me – medication, physical therapy, biofeedback, acupuncture, ablation, and even surgery. Some of that has helped.
One of the hardest things is that people don’t understand.
It’s not like acute pain, which everyone has experienced. People can’t see what I feel. So they have trouble understanding that I’m really in pain. Even if I’m not in pain at that moment, I know it can come back at any time.
I don’t want to complain about my pain all the time. It drives people away.
People that love me don’t want me to be in pain.
They feel helpless when I’m having a bad day.
They know other people who had surgery and are now fine, so they think I should be fine, too. I don’t want them to think I’m just being a ‘baby.’
They really want to help but don’t know how. Everyone has ideas about how to “fix” me. Although I know they mean well, I’m tired of trying every suggestion.
Have you had similar experiences with chronic pain?
Ellie made a decision.
She realized she had no choice but to live with her chronic pain. She decided to make the best of it.
She worked very hard with her therapist to understand how her pain affects her body and her emotions; to understand how it affects every part of her life, her job, her relationships, her leisure activities.
Ellie learned breathing techniques, stress reduction, and ways to reduce muscle tension, and to manage her schedule and activities so she doesn’t overdo it.
She had to grieve the loss of her idea of a “normal” life and embrace her new reality.
Ellie’s husband had to adapt, too.
In sessions together, her husband learned more effective ways he could be helpful and supportive to Ellie.
Life can still be wonderful.
Are you ready to ask for help?
Working with injured workers in the Workers’ Compensation arena for many years, I developed great compassion for people in chronic pain.
I’ve witnessed evidence-based approaches that make a difference in the quality of clients’ lives.
I have the same hope for you.
If you need help managing the collateral impact of chronic pain in your life, let’s talk – (520) 468-0469.