Living with chronic or intractable pain and illness can be distressing.
It’s important to manage our stressors, not only our physical symptoms.
Emotions play a huge role in the outcome of any given day.
Medications used to treat anxiety aren’t always an option for various reasons and some examples may include lack of access to care, natural living, or a doctor’s decision not to prescribe.
It’s necessary to implement due diligence in assessing our triggers and applying positive responses to minimize discomfort.
If I’m unable to manage a trigger, I’ll simply remove myself or cease to engage in the situation or topic.
In the age of social media, triggers and stressors are hitting people on a regular basis, sometimes several times a day.
Have you ever clenched your muscles when bothered by a situation? You may not even be consciously aware. I’ve caught myself doing this 100’s of times over the decades of living with chronic pain and intractable illnesses both on and offline. It causes more pain in us! We become over-stimulated.
I have CRPS which affects the sympathetic nervous system. This is our fight or flight and is also known as “the stress response”.
Being online can be a double edged sword. It brings us together and tears us apart and if we’re living with chronic illness it can exasperate physical pain and mental health statuses.
I’m certain it’s painful for people who aren’t even ill in any manner. It can potentially cause illnesses.
Balance is critical.
Distractions are essential to both our physical body and emotional states of mind.
Mind over matter is easier said than done yet it must be done for our own sake and overall well being.
We can’t always rely on someone or something else for ease and comfort to be accomplished.
Some things that may assist in the management of stress and anxiety are meditation, guided imagery, biofeedback, physical therapy, stretching, deep breathing, mindfulness, games, learning, reading, keeping a journal, managing social media time, music, poetry, and of course, laughter is good medicine.
In addition to physical illnesses with autoimmune involvement, I live with major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, as well as social anxiety and I’m a suicide survivor.
I’ve managed all of my medical conditions on my own for 8 years.
The journey itself becomes our teacher.
