The process of eliminating or at least relieving pain seems very simple: we go to the doctor, it tells us the right treatment and the pain goes away, but it is not always like this. One of the great challenges of medicine is chronic pain, what happens when nothing makes you feel better?How do you control something as confusing and exhausting as constant pain?
The person suffering from chronic pain feels that thousands of needles are constantly stuck in his body, affecting his life not only physically, but also emotionally, cognitively and relationally, in this way, the continuous stress to which the person is subjected, as well as the limitations imposed on him by chronic pain, will shake his conceptions of the world, life and his relationships at certain times.
- “There are pains that kill.
- But there are crueler pains.
- Those that allow us to live without allowing us to enjoy life.
- “Antonie L.
- Apollinarie Fairy?.
This situation is not only difficult for the person suffering from chronic pain, people close to you and your friends also experience difficulties, especially when ignorance, misunderstanding or tiredness take hold of them, as they have faced different types of pain throughout their lives, they believe that having the ability to understand what is going on , however, as it is subjective and dependent on one’s own feelings, it is very difficult for people to put themselves in the situation of the person who is suffering.
Pain is a warning from our body that warns us that something is wrong, but what happens when pain persists after following medical recommendations ?, life can become a threat to those who suffer it, daily activities turn into suffering and she can see the future in a desperate way.
This feeling of being at the mercy of pain like a leaf in the wind is very detrimental to the patient’s self-esteem, although it is true that the degree of disability caused by chronic pain depends on the situation of each person. , no matter how self-sufficient and functional it is, the situation can be experienced as limiting and frustrating.
In general, according to experts, chronic pain is understood to exist when it lasts longer than six months and is not relieved with medical or surgical treatments, although there are medications to relieve symptoms, psychotherapy can also be of great help in these cases.
In addition to daily relief and practical effects, working with acceptance and empowerment, psychotherapy can strengthen and increase the sense of “control over one’s life. “
“Joy and sadness are not like water and oil, they coexist. “José Saramago?
There are several techniques to treat chronic pain, here we will focus on the techniques presented in the ‘Manual of Pain’ (Moix and Kovacs, 2009).
One of the best ways to deal with adversity is to know how what destabilizes us works, from the understanding and awareness of the problem we will find better strategies to deal with it and the level of tension accumulated by uncertainty will be reduced.
Knowing the careal processes and how to direct attention is essential for us to become aware of our power over pain, so getting our attention to relaxing stimuli will be of great help, rather than focusing on this exhausting pain.
“The man who has not been brought up by pain will always be a child. “Nicols Tommaseo?
Another important aspect is to realize that the discomfort caused by discouragement strengthens and stokes disease, fear, stress, tiredness or difficulty sleeping can increase pain, knowing this we can work in the opposite direction, that is, concentrating emotions, thoughts and behaviors that give us well-being rather than help increase pain. As small as this relief is, it will be in our favor.
We need to do our part and address the problem from an action point of view and start working on it. Some of the main points of the protocols of action are:
“All the pains that isolate us are lost pains. “Simone Weil?
Chronic pain is not only a disease that affects us physically, but also affects our thoughts, relationships and emotions. An invisible problem, but of great weight. It is essential to do your part to live a healthier life.