I am stepping away from the blog challenge. While some of the topics are interesting to me, some are not and I would rather write about topics that provide both myself and you some knowledge, laughter, hints, whatever the case may me. I am still trying to define what my niche may be in writing this blog. Mental Illness and managing a mental illness is near and dear to my heart. Having diagnoses of Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder keep me having to always stay on top of my health, mental and otherwise. I hope I can share with you what has worked for me over the years. It’s can be a struggle, I know.
Have you ever dealt with long-term pain? If so, you know how incredibly hard it can be to “keep your chin up.” Chronic pain can drain every bit of our being, both physically and mentally. We want to be positive, but it’s hard. We appreciate everyone’s concern, but it can be hard to either not complain, or else just let it all out and talk about every single painful twitch. We sleep like crap almost every night and we are sick and tired of feeling totally immobile. Have we been there? YES!
My chronic pain with my hip has been going on for at least 4 years. I had surgery last year and then a hip replacement this year that had serious complications. I am now sitting here wondering if I will be using a walker the rest of my life, I am 51!
So what do we do? I am hopeful, but not convinced that this long-term pain will resolve. I can only imagine how those of you living in chronic pain LIVE at times? Let’s look at a few ideas.
I found this great slide show article from WebMD that give some advice on easing your pain STRESS:
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/ss/slideshow-pain-tips
I laughed when the first slide was Excercise!!!! We sure don’t want to exercise when we hurt!! But, I KNOW it helps. It may not help the pain at hand, but it keeps us strong. And for those of us who are not particularly mobile, get some handweights (or ankle weights if your shoulders hurt); do some stretches…just a little is better than nothing. I have an alarm set on my phone at 11:00am and 5:00pm everyday to do my exercises. That keeps me on track.
Relaxation (find at least one or two positions where we can be comfortable), avoid alcohol and cigarettes, give ourselves some down time, journal (or blog), and most important, ASK FOR HELP if we are feeling that dark cloud surround us a little more than normal.
Pain is NO FUN! It’s hard to deal with and when we are in an extended period of pain it can be even more troubling to handle than “normal” short term pain. Remember, we are not alone in our pain, and we are not alone in our healing. It’s ok if we don’t want to talk, but starting to completely withdraw can make our mental health suffer.
Share with me how you live with your pain, chronic or otherwise. Please share any hints you may have. Thanks and take care of YOU!
Jenny