An Overview
Chronic Pain is complex problem, with what is almost certainly a complex cause. There are many factors that have been identified as probable contributors to the disease, including heredity-a genetic predisposition to the disease,-learned coping skills, pre-existing emotional “disorders” such as depression and post-traumatic stress, a history of abuse or neglect, severe and prolonged stress of any kind and recent physical and/or emotional trauma-to name only a few.
Therefore, it would be both naive and misguided of us to apply a one-sided approach to helping you diminish the devastating effects of Chronic Pain on your body, your mind and your life. And because we are neither... because we are, in fact, quite knowledgeable about how this disease can develop from any number of seemingly inconsequential factors which, when combined in a single lifetime, can wreck havoc on a person’s physical and psychological health, our suggested interventions are always individualized and focused on enabling you to return to your natural state of balanced health and wellness.
Nevertheless, there are certain core processes that we use over and over with our clients, processes that we use successfully, and which have been demonstrated to work with others time and again. There are surprisingly few of them, and they are surprisingly simple. Yet they are extremely powerful in their ability to promote awareness of the factors which drive your pain and-more importantly, those that can profoundly diminish it.
These core processes are Intentional Journaling, Mindfulness and Meditation,
In the sections that follow we will explain and explore each process more fully. As we do so, please bear in mind that as we speak about the impact these practices will have upon you and your life, we are always referring at the same time to the effect they will have upon your pain.
In our logo we urge you to "manage your life, not your pain" because that is exactly what you must do in order to become well again. Your life is the sum total of its parts. Your experiences shaped who you are, and what you believe about yourself and your relationship to the rest of the world shaped your experience. Thus your thoughts, beliefs, and habitual, life-long patterns of reacting and relating to the many powerful forces in your life are directly-albeit not solely-responsible for the person you see in the mirror today-your beauty and wisdom as well as your pain. There is no way to alter one aspect of yourself without bringing about change in the others; as you change even what appear to be insignificant parts of your life, you may see enormous improvement in your pain.
Our next section begins a discussion on the process and benefits of journaling.