I’ve been living with chronic pain for over forty years, and sometimes I think to myself — don’t I deserve a PhD in Pain Management for coping with this monster that rules my life?
I live with pain. I write about pain. I share tips, suggestions, and ideas to help make life a little easier. You’d think by now I’d have it all figured out.
Except…I don’t.
The truth is, I still muddle through most days and have to take each one as it comes.
Because here’s the reality — there are no magic answers when you live with chronic pain. You don’t get handed a guidebook and told, “Follow this, and you’ll be pain-free.” At best, you’re given medication that might take the edge off the pain (which often takes the edge off your brain too!). At worst, you’re told to “stay positive,” as if that alone will fix everything.
No PhD — Just 40 Years of Experience Coping With Pain
I might not have a PhD in coping with pain, but what I do have is experience. Over forty years of it.
But experience doesn’t mean I’ve mastered my pain.
Experience simply means I’ve gathered a few tools along the way. I’ve learned ways of coping when things are tough.
Whether my trigeminal neuralgia is flaring badly or my back is misbehaving, I try different things to get through the day. None of them take the pain away completely. But sometimes, they make my pain a little more manageable.
Some days are harder than others, and what helps one day might not help the next. There are no guarantees when it comes to pain management. It’s about doing the best I can, with what I have, on that particular day.
Coping Rather Than Curing it
The most important thing that experience has taught me is that there are strategies that can help me cope with the pain — even when there’s no magic wand to cure it.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a series of posts about the things that help me on those more difficult days — from finding a little hope, to practical ways of easing the pain, to the small comforts that can make a difference.
None of these are magic solutions. But if even one small thing helps you, then it’s worth sharing.
And who knows…maybe after another forty years, I’ll finally earn that PhD. 😉
✼✼✼
Thank you so much for reading.
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
And feel free to share it with your friends or support groups.
Take care,
Liz.
Please subscribe and follow me on social media to stay updated on my latest posts!
Take care of yourself today — you’re doing your best.