Today as I sit at my desk and realize that it's been WAAAAY too long since I contibuted to my own blog, no only am I disappointed but inspired to submit something worthwhile. Topic of the day is PAIN. Being overall in good health, the only thing I can think of to pin my all over body pain on is PAWS – Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. Myunderstandingis that it can last up to 18 months or more and it can creep up out of nowhere like a rogue wave on a dead sea. Dealing with Chronic Pain in Sobrietyis more common than you might think and next to stress is the number 1 cause of relapse. The physical pain just becomes too much and people reach their breaking point. Personally, I do have some old snow boarding injuries that ache more often than I'd like.I have sustained many car accidents and have muscle spasms, headaches and so on. And, like any other average person Ihave a slew of slip and falls in my history that have resulted in dislocations and soft tissue damagewhich never seem right again and are a constantsource of discomfort, usually leading topain.
There are many actions we cantake rather than succumbing to the quick relief of an opioid painkiller. Here are a few that work for me:
Many times it's simply mind over matter – if you don't mind it doesn't matter. You just sort of realize that you can "take" more than you thought you could. Adjust your posture every 30 seconds if you need to. Works for me!Your threshold becomes bigger and bigger. Even when I get to that point where I don't think I can take it one more minute, I find someway to get a little more time without falling prey to a potentially deadly relapse. So far it hasn't got me!
Suffering isn't the point here – it's finding another avenue around the suffering. Movement, exercise, stretching, yoga. These are all positive and effective outlets in dealing with physical pain. Also, the mind over matter is no joke.We have a lot of control over our bodies – more than you might think. People in general are quick to give in to pain because there are so many quick fixes available in our "pop a pill society." Meditation, positive affirmations, the messageswe tell ourselves make a massive difference in how we handle and tollerate chronic pain.
Our brains believe what our minds tell it and our body acts accordingly on that information. IfI keep telling myself over and over "I'm in so much pain." Guess what? My discomfort increases. But if I tell myself, "I can take it, it just is and it will pass, "I seem to have an better edge on the pain. It's still theer but it's not so all consuming.Getting support is key as well, sharing the burdon with someone else who's"been there" and understands. We never have to go through any part of this recovery thing alone. I like the notion that pain is just weakness leaing our bodies. If this is the case, then Let It Go!
