12 Steps.. Living With Chronic Pain

Every Journey Has It’s Shortcomings, Even Living With Chronic Pain

Your Need For Others To Understand

Those who are living with chronic pain are tested to the limits. That is, the outer limits of any human realization.

Losing your identity, abilities, choices that others take for granted and your health is the reality of chronic pain.

Give yourself permission, today I want to rest because my pain is much worse than yesterday.

Forget the opinions of others, they have no idea what you have to deal with every minute of every day. Just do what is best for yourself.

Let your family and friends give you a hand. Stay positive, tomorrow will bring new things to your life.

If you are trying to find a way to live with your chronic pain, try these 12 steps. Giving this to your family or friends may help them to understand, just how and what you are feeling.

The 12 Steps of Living with Chronic Pain
By: Susan L Gardner

1. I am powerless over chronic pain and it makes my life unmanageable. I do what I can and the rest will have to wait until I get to it.

2. I refuse to feel guilty about having a health condition that limits but does not stop my life. Guilt will eat you up. Let it go…. Make the best of what you have and live.

3. I will do a fearless inventory on my losses and my emotions. I will explore my past, relationships with my family, friends, co-workers, and employers. In an effort to gain perspective of how chronic pain has affected my past; and, in order to be at peace with my present, and gain hope for the future.

4. I am willing to make amends where necessary.. I’m sure along the way I have made others angry, and for that I am sorry. However, I refuse to take on any un-necessary responsibility or guilt that does not belong to me.

5. I refuse to accept mislabeling in my life. I will no longer accept terms like lazy, crazy, mental, addicted, malingering, seeking secondary gain, hypochondriac or any other of the countless, thoughtless titles included in the stigma of chronic pain to be allowed in my life. I am a human being as well.

6. I will remember to pace myself. Take things one step at a time in my recovery process. I am not out of the race, I just have to run a little slower.

7. I am willing to take responsibility for my illness by use of research and advocacy in order to make the best decision for ME. After all, I am the one living this life.

8. I refuse to accept that I can no longer be a viable person and believe that my God has, in his infinite wisdom, a purpose designed, just for me.

9. I will seek out a healthy balance of life. These includes medical, spiritual, emotional, social, psychological and physical health. In addition, I will seek out joy, peace, love and laughter.

10. I know that chronic pain affects every aspect of my life; but, does not have to control my life. I must learn to look at life in a different light by finding new ways to do old things.

11. I will remember that living with chronic pain affects my family, as well as myself. And, in order to stay a healthy family, we must learn to communicate.

12. Most importantly, I want to share my journey, showing care, warmth, respect, encouragement and understanding to my chronic comrades in life.

I hope this will help you.

And for others that want to know, where this journey will take you.

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