Pain is meant to stimulate the body into action and to avoid danger. It’s your body’s way of telling you there is something wrong. The natural reaction of pain is a state of physiological arousal.
If you have a chronic illness that prevents you from doing what you used to be able to do, whole areas of control unravel. When my condition caused physical pain that had not responded well to medical treatment I got distressed, which was compounded by emotional turmoil caused by knowing that my condition seemed to be beyond even my doctor’s control and even further compounded by the fact that I looked healthy, even though I am in pain all of the time.
Ultimately, I have failed to receive a diagnosis that has clear, actionable treatment, meaning I have had to take some control back for my own sense of self and health. I have used a combination of medication, physiotherapy, diet, and exercise to help alleviate my pain.
This blog is going to focus on how I have been harnessing my mind’s power and taking hold of my own healing.
I haven’t by any means got it right but I have had over 5 years suffering from chronic pain and have done a lot of searching in that time. As I sit here in the middle of a flare in my symptoms that have lasted over 4 weeks now and still very present. After attempting a short walk around the river 4 weeks ago, and really struggling, I have yet to get into a place to attempt another walk(hopefully over the weekend). Unable to do a walk I decided to write about the ways I have found to mentally manage my mental state inside a flare.
Before I start it is important to say that this is part of a plan to help me manage my pain and is implemented with a combination of medication, physio and diet it is not an alternative. It is only part of my journey through my pain.
A conscious mind is necessary for the experience of pain, therefore the mind can be recruited into the treatment of pain and may have the capacity to alleviate pain by changing the way you perceive it. How you feel pain is influenced by your genetic makeup, your emotions, your personality, and your lifestyle. It’s also influenced by past experiences. There are three areas where I harness my minds power to have a positive effect on my pain: controlling muscle tension, controlling attention and controlling the perception of your pain
Controlling muscle tension.
Eliciting a relaxation response is a perfect antidote to the stress response, which pumps up the heart rate and puts the body’s systems on high alert, the relaxation response turns down the body’s reactions.
I have experimented with a lot of different techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, yoga and guided imagery, There isn’t a secret formula and what works best is different for everyone. I have found yoga has fitted with my condition best. Yoga exercises incorporate breath control, meditation, and movements to stretch and strengthen muscles. Fibromyalgia treatment relies on making your muscles strong and flexible. Yoga can be as gentle or impactful as you can manage and most importantly has a large focus on mindful breathing and meditation. I have carved out a minimum of 30 mins a day in yoga mode. If I have high pain I just sit and focus on my breathing maybe do some soft stretching. If I am feeling good I focus on meditating whilst completing a routine. Implementing movement wherever I can. Walking when the pain is slightly better, doing restorative yoga every day. Every little bit of movement counts. I’m used to it hurting when I move, but I still try to move when I can. This creates natural endorphins which lift the mood and also fantastic at relaxing the body and mind.
Controlling my attention
You can take complete control of your attention by picking an activity you enjoy reading, writing, walking in nature, gardening, or cooking—and becoming fully immersed in it. Making a point to notice every detail of what you are doing and how your senses and emotions are responding. I used to read a lot, but this wasn’t enough to cause distraction and I’d find my mind wondering all the time. Then I started using art as a distraction. I found by doing mathematical art I had to use both sides of my brain and absorb all my minds power. I had to focus on every detail to make my art accurate. The beauty and power weren’t necessary the artwork produced but in the process of creating.
Controlling perception
When I’m ill, I have often become fixated on what I’m unable to do. I have done two things to help me change my perception. Firstly I have been keeping a journal listing the things I am thankful for each day. I might have new limitations, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be thankful for the things I can do. I have spent the last 6 – 12months reminding myself of the good in my life, which is plentiful despite the pain. Secondly, I have been speaking to friends about how I really feel. I have found a couple of really close friends who understand my condition and get me despite the invisibility of my illness. Humans are born for connection and invisible illnesses can be dreadfully isolating. Retraining my focus on what I can do instead of what I can’t have given me a more accurate view of myself and the world and the friends I have around me. I had also really deepened my friendships because I can be real with those around me.
All of these things have really helped strengthen me, my body, my mind, my emotions and my friendships. I really believe that if I hadn’t harnessed these techniques I would have become sicker, it would have greatly affected my mental health and my relationships with others. The journey through my pain has been greatly enhanced by surrounding myself with people who care and who are willing to journey through the good and the bad with me. Every day I am thankful for them and thankful for everything I am able to do.
Walking to health; the challenge 