| Most people think medications can help heal daily | | | | encounter? |
| chronic pain. | | | | Expressing the discomfort and emotions that you |
| Medications do not heal chronic pain. At best, what | | | | find can be healing |
| medications do is to keep you from feeling totally | | | | If you encounter physical discomfort or painful |
| miserable. However, when the pain comes back, you | | | | emotions, write down how you feel or how the |
| need to take more and more medications. | | | | emotions sound. You can express these in different |
| Using medication is like trying to stop a volcano from | | | | ways by writing things like: |
| erupting | | | | ''Owwwwwwww!'' or ''Wahhhhhhhhhhh!'' or ''It hurts!'' |
| You have seen movies of an active volcano. It | | | | Allow your discomfort to express through what you |
| belches smoke. It spews lava. It stops. And if an | | | | write on your paper. A useful journaling technique is |
| obstruction gets in the way, when it's about to | | | | writing with the hand you normally do not write with, |
| erupt, guess what happens? | | | | which is your non-dominant hand. Let it be big or |
| The obstruction doesn't change the volcano much. | | | | messy or scribbly if that matches how you feel. |
| The volcano blows it out of the way or erupts | | | | At any time you can stop if you are in too much pain |
| anyway from another location. Your chronic pain | | | | or get too fatigued. If you can, keep writing until you |
| eventually blasts through your medications or shows | | | | express most or all of your discomfort. In addition to |
| up in an unexpected way. | | | | journaling, you can express your discomfort through |
| What causes your chronic pain to go off? | | | | your voice. |
| For people who have fibromyalgia daily chronic pain, | | | | Voicing your discomfort and uncomfortable emotions |
| there are many factors that can lead to greater | | | | also helps to heal your chronic pain |
| discomfort. | | | | If journaling is difficult or does not work well for you, |
| - Cold, wet weather gets in your muscles and joints | | | | you can express your discomfort through making |
| and leaves you feeling like you got hit by a truck | | | | sounds or speaking words. Instead of writing, |
| - Pushing yourself beyond your limits can put you in | | | | "Owwwwwwwwww!" you can sound it out or yell it |
| pain for several days afterward | | | | out. Let your discomfort shape and express through |
| - Eating or drinking the wrong foods or beverages | | | | the sound of your voice. Voicing, even if it feels |
| can drain your energy and put you in hours of | | | | awkward, helps to uncover and release what is at |
| discomfort | | | | the core of your chronic pain. |
| - Being around people who are negative or toxic can | | | | You may not feel comfortable making sounds of |
| zap your energy and put you in more pain | | | | discomfort |
| - Having increased stress about things like money, | | | | Many adults do not feel comfortable making loud |
| relationships, or your health can all trigger episodes of | | | | sounds or expressing their pain. However, this can |
| greater chronic pain | | | | create a build up of repressed pain and emotion that |
| Instead of masking your pain with medications, you | | | | can produces ever more pain. |
| can use a more natural way to deal with your | | | | By finding a safe environment or a facilitator will help |
| discomfort. | | | | you to safely release your thoughts and sensations |
| How you can stop or slow down your chronic pain | | | | of chronic pain. However, you may also hesitate to |
| without medications | | | | express your emotions. |
| There are many systems of healing that are | | | | Expressing your emotions can feel scary to you |
| effective at helping you relieve and heal your chronic | | | | Many chronic pain clients have difficulty allowing |
| pain: acupuncture, craniosacral technique, spiritual | | | | themselves to feel their painful emotions. You may |
| healing, dietary therapy, chiropractic adjustment, | | | | think that expressing emotions will lead you to get |
| osteopathic manipulation, herbal remedies, | | | | out of control. Expressing your emotions can actually |
| supplements, psychotherapy, biofeedback, | | | | lead you to feel more in control of relieving your |
| aromatherapy, physical therapy, and massage to | | | | chronic pain. |
| name a few. | | | | Expressing your emotions can reduce your pain by |
| These forms of treatment can help you to reduce | | | | 50% |
| your discomfort and increase your awareness of | | | | Your doctor probably wanted to help you to control |
| what is making your pain worse. As your pain | | | | your emotions when he / she prescribed |
| decreases and you get better, you can discover | | | | antidepressants. With the proper guidance and |
| what is at the core of your chronic pain. | | | | support, you can find safe and healthy ways to feel |
| What is at the core of your chronic pain? | | | | and express your painful emotions even if you are on |
| You can use a creative tool to focus your awareness | | | | medications. In some cases, expressing your pain can |
| to probe deeper and find what is at the core of your | | | | reduce your discomfort by 50% or more. When you |
| chronic pain. Called journaling, you write down on a | | | | are able to reduce your pain you feel like you can |
| large piece of paper what is going on with your pain. | | | | have a positive effect on your health. |
| As you feel your pain you can journal the following: | | | | Stop trying to medicate a volcano |
| your physical feelings, any emotions that arise, and | | | | Trying to stop an volcano that is erupting never |
| thoughts or beliefs that you find with your | | | | works. Using medications to heal chronic pain is the |
| discomfort. | | | | same. By allowing yourself to sense and express |
| You can keep on journaling as long as your | | | | your thoughts, uncomfortable sensations, and painful |
| discomfort does not become overwhelming. Relaxing | | | | emotions that are with your chronic pain prevents |
| your body and breathing as you journal helps you to | | | | the pressure from building up in the first place. You |
| not be overwhelmed by your pain. | | | | may be able to actually dissipate a majority of your |
| How can you heal the discomfort that you | | | | pain through journaling it out or giving voice to it. |