Chronic pain is a way of life for a lot of people who suffer
with it. While there’s a lot of importance in not letting it take over who you
are, it’s hard to separate your condition from life itself. I haven’t posted on
here for a while, and the reason is that I’ve been increasingly struggling to
stay sane in the face of a condition that’s hard to manage and impossible to
get a real hold on. It’s not easy to know what to expect, so default feelings
turn to worry, worry turns to stress and in time it’s all you become.
This is not a good way to live. While it’s vital to take
your condition seriously, and do everything you can to stay in the best health
possible, I think the biggest battle is keeping your mind clear and able to
function on a normal level.
I had to take a massive step back from everything around me
that pointed towards chronic pain, EDS and the illness that’s overshadowed my
life for the last few years. I removed Facebook groups from my feed, stopped
replying to emails and tweets and moved away from this blog. I concentrated
hard on getting a new job, went away on a break with friends, put more time and
effort into my other website, and slowly I felt better.
How do you stay sane in chronic pain? How do you keep your
mind focused on the light at the end of the tunnel when you can’t see it? I
don’t know the whole answer, but I think a lot is about clearing your mind and
sweeping aside everything that brings you down. Kind of like having a mental
clear out every so often. I don’t want the work I’ve put in on this blog and
the community I’ve built online to go to waste, so I will start blogging more
regularly again, but I think it’s very important to take some time to try and
be you, rather than be a person in chronic pain, and that isn’t always possible
when you are surrounded by prompts and reminders.
I was fortunate enough to get away from it all (kind of, we
all know you can’t banish pain for a holiday) to an immensely peaceful place
and just relax for a couple of weeks recently. I’ve been getting edgy and
worried again lately, so in a couple of weeks it’ll be mental clear out time
again. I recommend anyone who feels like they are completely drowning to try
and do the same. Oh and it’s Friday! So there’s a reason to kick back and take
a few deep breaths. Happy weekend spoonies.
