Comments on: Learning To Live With Chronic Pain

By: Suzaan

Suzaan — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:47:17 +0000

I have had RA for 4 years now and right now am in the middle of my worst flare.But like you I have learnt to cope with my pain and take it as it comes even thoughh people around me pity me all the time and that makes it even difficult to actually let my flare finish its usual round.I havent stopped living my life and actually have found out new ways to do things when I cannot ,for example,hold a comb or spoon.Every now and then I do break down and cry my eyes out but i think thats letting the heart just get it out of the system.All the best to youa and all with RA.May God grant us the strength to live through brave and strong.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:37:16 +0000

I get aches for no medical reason at all. Nothing makes me feel
any better.This article helped me.knowing how you deal with
pain helps me stay on the possitive side.I am praticing
staying possitive even though I can’t change.It feels better
that way.Thank you. take care.
Tammy

By: Cecilia

Cecilia — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:01:00 +0000

I had been doing “well” – exercising, very active, eating right, hiking – a gold star patient. But have been wracked with fatigue for the past couple weeks, practically too tired to think. I’ve been blaming myself – for being lazy, unmotivated, for giving up etc etc. But this evening I found a lot of RA blogs, and the self-blame is slipping away, the feeling of being alone is vanishing in the presence of this community. I’m enjoying RA Guy’s sense of humor. I agree – turn towards the pain. It has something to teach us. Thanks for the reminder…and thanks for the blog.

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:07:09 +0000

I’ve been reading Jon Kabat-Zinn over the past couple of years and have been working on “turning toward the pain.” Trying to ignore my pain or distract myself constantly is exhausting and stressful. For me, realizing that I am already in pain and I am already putting up with it has greatly lessened my anxiety.

By: Lana

Lana — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:05:02 +0000

I have come to the same conclusion RA Guy. I wish the optimistic and hopeful me was still here, but as much as I have learned to co-exist with RA, I have learned that I must cope and find ways to deal with the pain. I used to say, “that won’t be me because…” I am a survivor and I am optimistic and hopeful and tough, but all those things are easier said than done. I thought that acceptance of a life with RA (coexistence) was all I had to do but it is not about fighting it or trying to be the most optimistic person, it is about trying to cope the best that we can with what is available to you. Turning towards my pain – that was something that I would never imagined doing easier but here I am, just like you, just like many others – just trying to cope. Like anything else in life, it’s a process and maybe, just maybe, science will on our side. In the meantime, but for today and the uncertain future, we just have to keep coping.