Living Life Despite Chronic Pain

Pain can be frightening, exhausting and all-consuming – especially when it continues for an extended period of time. Although often invisible, chronic pain is a prevalent problem throughout Australia.

You may have it yourself, and you will certainly know someone who does, with around one in three people suffering from chronic pain, a debilitating condition that can affect so many aspects of a person’s life.

Chronic pain can result from a massive range of conditions and injuries. It is generally normal to feel extended pain after an injury or as a result of a health condition. However, if pain persists for more than 12 weeks, it is considered chronic, and a pain management plan may be required to help manage that pain.

Chronic Pain Management with Tonic Psychology

A psychologist can help to develop a chronic pain management plan that details specific ways to minimise flareups, manage pain killers and identify ways to maximise positive moods, restore good sleep, and retrain the brain if it has become over sensitised to pain signals.

A Few Things To Remember If You Experience Chronic Pain;

• It’s not necessary to be ‘pain-free’ to have an enjoyable and worthwhile existence. You may not be able to embark upon exactly the same activities you enjoyed before the onset of your chronic pain, but your life can still be full of beauty, meaning and purpose. We can’t put our lives on hold waiting for the day some physical cure comes.
• Understand that accepting the pain does not mean you are giving in to it. Do not let your pain define you.
• You cannot simply will away the pain using a ‘mind over matter’ philosophy. This can leave you feeling worn out and disappointed. Chronic pain is exhausting in itself, without trying to convince yourself that it doesn’t exist.
• Focus on prioritising daily activities and breaking them into smaller, achievable tasks. This can show you that you are still capable of achieving things, but it is important to know your limits and be kind to yourself in the process.

At Tonic Psychology, our trained team of counsellors, psychologists and therapists can help our clients by developing effective ways for them to understand and minimise their pain, to reduce anxiety, to develop a management plan and support them in the creation of healthy coping mechanisms that allow them to continue with their life.