Tag: Understanding

Awareness Pic of cactus plant on black background. words - How to help people understand your pain

How to Help People Understand Your Pain

Posted on By Despite Pain

Pain is personal, isn’t it? Two people who live with the same condition experience it differently. That doesn’t stop them from understanding the pain they each live with. In support groups, people really do understand how the pain affects you. But do other people? Is it possible to help people understand the pain?

After I published this post this post to explain what trigeminal neuralgia feels like, someone told me that nobody understands the condition, so there’s no point in even trying to explain it.

Read more
Awareness How to explain the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. Lightning storm

How to Explain the Pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Posted on By Despite Pain

There are many ways to describe the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. Lightning bolts, electric shocks, zapping, stabbing, burning, aching are all perfect descriptions of this horrendous facial pain. Explaining the Pain of Trigeminal Neuralgia to Help People Understand Sometimes non-sufferers may think that some of those explanations are far-fetched. They’re…

Read more
Medical How to help doctors listen and understand. Image of a heart shape with a heart monitor graph.

How to Help Doctors Listen and Understand Better

Posted on By Despite Pain

When we live with chronic illness, the relationship we have with our primary care doctor becomes one of the most important ones in our lives. We rely on them to guide us, support us, and help us make sense of what our bodies are doing. But what happens when we…

Read more
Back Pain & Scoliosis

Learning to Listen to Your Body When You’re in Pain

Posted on By Despite Pain

Learning to listen to your body when you’re in pain is easier said than done. I have lived with pain for most of my life. Chronic severe pain which has been both disabling and debilitating. There have been spells when it’s been extremely difficult to cope with it.

For many years, I tried to fight against my pain which did nothing but make it worse. Eventually, I learned to listen to my body. It didn’t stop the pain, but I was able to cope with it better.

Read more