Life with Chronic Pain

Here’s the secret to living your best life, free from chronic pain!

Are you sick and tired of living with chronic pain?

Living with chronic pain affects every aspect of your daily life. From maintaining close relationships, being able to work, getting enough sleep, and being able to carry out seemingly ordinary daily tasks.

And not only do you never know how you’re going to feel each morning, but you’ve probably had loads of people offering you “helpful” advice about how to manage and control your pain, haven’t you?

Or, worse than that, I bet a lot of people don’t understand just how much pain you’re constantly in, do they?

Although they mean well, I’m sure you get frustrated with family and friends who just don’t understand what the term “chronic” really means!

BUT!

What if I told you that you could turn down the volume of your chronic pain, live life to the fullest, and enjoy the life you crave! Would you believe me?

Trust me; it can happen! You see, it’s all about the mind because what affects the body affects the mind, and what affects the mind affects the body. Have you noticed that your body reacts immediately to pain, but the thinking comes later? Much like when you put your hand on a kettle that’s just boiled.

And so, here’s my top tips for dialling down the pain and moving on with life.

1. Switch the negative talk for positive talk

When you experience physical pain, do you feel as if you’re more vulnerable to your emotions? Well, that’s because your mental health is closely tied to your physical wellbeing, which explains why you may be quicker to get angry or fearful of engaging in activities you previously enjoyed.

Because our thoughts are so automatic, you may not even realise their presence. But simply noticing your thoughts and making a conscious effort to change can make a big difference.

So how do you exactly do that?

The next time you catch yourself thinking negatively, make an effort to change your thoughts. Ask yourself: What’s another way of looking at this? What’s a more balanced perspective of thinking?

Choose a new, more positive thought and keep repeating it to yourself.

For example, if you’re saying, “no-one gets how much pain I’m in! My back’s constantly killing me. I’m done, I’m sick of it, I’m over it!”, then that’s going to dial up the pain.

BUT…

If you switch your language to self-soothing language, it will dial down the volume of the pain. So, you know, if your shoulder aches and you gently rub it with your hand, that’s self-soothing. But what you could also do is talk to the part of your body where your pain is, and yes, I know it might sound silly at first, but using soothing language like “it’s going to be okay, you’re alright, you’re safe” can help.

It’s important to remember that it takes a while before you can start to change your thinking. Here’s a fact you might not know; our brains are wired towards a “negativity bias”, meaning it will take time and practice to fade away these negative thought patterns.

2. Meditate to help relax

Meditation can help your body relax, which may ease your pain. By sending a subtle message to your body to relax, you can release tension and tightness from your muscles.

Want to know a handy tip for meditating?

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.
Focus on your breath, ignore your thoughts and repeat a word or phrase like it’s a chant.

Why? Because the soothing powers of repetition will help your body to relax.

Or, if you’re not finding meditation working for you, give deep breathing a go!

Get comfortable in a quiet space, and block out all distractions, including your thoughts. Slowly take deep breaths and fill your abdomen with air. Now you need to relax and let it all out. Think of yourself as a deflating balloon that’s been let loose!

3. Make use of distractions
The more you pay attention to your pain, the more likely it will get worse. So, what do you do to stop?

You distract yourself.

Get busy with something you like doing, whether it’s taking a cooking class, joining yoga or simply volunteering for a charity; the world is your oyster! And no, distractions don’t have just to be physical activities. You could simply indulge in puzzles or board games to keep your mind off your chronic pain.

You might not be able to control or avoid your pain, but you can take control of your life and reduce the intensity of the pain. So, get cracking!

But what if you need more help to reduce your pain and start enjoying life again?

If you’re struggling to move on, but you’re ready to end the constant cycle of pain, then professional support is available. And remember, it’s okay to ask for help!

Have you ever considered hypnotherapy to help you reduce your pain and move on and start enjoying life again? Why hypnotherapy? Because it can guide you to finding and releasing the emotional connections that might be connected to your pain levels.

And, studies have shown that 70% of chronic pain patients find their pain and other symptoms are reduced in the short term after hypnotherapy, while up to 30% find that these reductions last permanently! Incredible statistics, aren’t they?!

But what exactly does hypnotherapy involve?

Well, hypnosis for pain control and relief starts by helping you enter a state of deep relaxation. And don’t worry, you’re always completely aware of what’s happening, and you’re always in control. Exercises in self-hypnosis and self-relaxation will teach you how to use them on your own so that if you feel those pain levels starting to rise, you can use the skills you’ve been taught to self-calm.
Still not sure about hypnotherapy? Let me give you an example of someone who I’ve been able to help who lived with chronic pain for many years.

Case Study:

A gentleman came to see me who had had surgery for an infection, nearly died and ended up spending five months in hospital. When he came to see me, he was experiencing shooting pain since leaving hospital and had chronic pain which affected his mood considerably.

When he came to see me, he said that he didn’t want to take strong medication to control his chronic pain as he was worried that it would cloud his mind. Instead, he said he would rather just cope and live it, rather than constantly feeling foggy, and still being in pain.

After just one hypnotherapy session, we had him experiencing a 50% reduction in his pain, and he was able to return to what he loved doing, volunteering. And the best news, almost one year on, his chronic pain no longer consumes his everyday life.

So, are you starting to see why clinical hypnotherapy can be so beneficial in helping you manage your chronic pain and starting to enjoy life to the fullest again?

Don’t just cope with life… live it! You only get one go, so isn’t it time to move on and live the life you want and deserve?

If you’re ready to take the first step in transforming your life, why not have a confidential chat with me? Email me at carol@moveoncounselling.com.au, or give me a call on 0429 922 765 because I’d love to find out how I can help you.