How To Deal With Chronic Pain Emotionally? 5 Coping Skills Explained!
Have you ever experienced any form of pain in your body for more than three months? If yes, then what you are experiencing is chronic pain. There is no definite duration for chronic pain. A few instances of chronic pain may be experienced from time to time while the others can affect you continuously for a prolonged duration. The constant experience of pain in your body causes you extreme discomfort and can even interfere with your sleeping.
Coping With Chronic Pain – What To Do?
Anyone who has been experiencing chronic pain might constantly feel anxious and depressed and this will take a hit on their mental well-being in addition to harming their physical health.
Hence it is vital to deal with your chronic pain at an emotional level to protect your mental well-being. A healthy mind will cure half your problems and enable you to lead a normal life.
Chronic pain is the reason many people visit hospitals and it has become so common in recent times. One out of every four people are victims of chronic pain in the United States. Joint pain, headaches. Neck pain and prolonged muscle pain are a few examples of chronic pain.
It is highly probable you have experienced any of the above-mentioned chronic pain in your life. Hence, you will understand how much discomfort chronic pain causes to your overall body and how it affects your daily functioning and day-to-day activities.
5 Coping Skills Every Chronic Pain Patient Needs
Everything starts with Acceptance:- So, first, you must accept you have been affected by a chronic condition. Unless you accept you cannot proceed further to cure the same. A doctor stating you have a chronic condition is widely different from you accepting the same.
But the game changes when you are able to accept because once you start accepting, the negative effect the pain has on your mental and emotional state starts reducing as you will start learning how to heal yourself from the pain.
As much as this might sound uncomfortable:– start talking about your pain. The minute you start talking, the control the pain has on you will start vanishing. Form a support group or talk to your loved ones about how you are feeling when you are experiencing pain. Consult with a therapist and seek counseling and this will help you have a calm state of mind.
Although you will be experiencing physical pain because of the chronic condition, your mental state is the actual victim. Hence it is important to talk with someone who will help you because it makes you realize you are not alone in this problem. It will also help you immensely in validating your feelings.
It is very important to be kind to yourself:- especially when you are facing pain and not able to complete any activities which you have planned earlier. Giving your body the rest it needs without pushing it hard will help you ease your state of mind.
Try positive affirmations and avoid all the negative talks that you have with yourself. Although this might sound bizarre at first and takes a considerable amount of time, this will help you in the long run.
Start indulging in self-care activities:- Even a little self-care activity like listening to your favorite music or cooking your favorite dish will heal your mind.
Whenever possible try to exercise at least for a few minutes every day. Even ten to fifteen minutes of walking will help you clear your mind.
Dealing with chronic pain is not always easy:- But it is not impossible to stay happy and lead a normal life despite having chronic pain. But this is only possible if your mental health is in check. Hence give adequate importance to your mental health.
Dr. Edward Zelman
Dr. Edward Zelman works as a Neurologist with the expertise of over 15 years, helping more than thousands to get back in complete health through his research-proven treatments. He earned his Masters from Harvard University and completed his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Dr. Edward Zelman is one of the notable names in the medical industry for his work in pain management, chronic disorder, and so on. He is also a former faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At present, Dr. Edward Zelman is researching safe and effective natural remedies that can restore as well as maintain the youthful functioning of the body.
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