Читать книгу The Bellator Instinct: Reclaiming Your Life From Chronic Pain - Артем Тюльников - Страница 12

When the weight is unbearable, professional support can be a lifeline. Go. Get that help. But I advise setting a limit, perhaps a few months.

Once you’ve received that essential validation and initial encouragement, the real work begins. It’s time to pivot from seeking comfort to seeking solutions. Shift your focus from the person who listens to the problem you need to solve.

Let me be blunt with a metaphor: If someone’s house is on fire, talking about how scary fire is provides only momentary relief. They need to learn how to use a hose. I realized I was using therapy just to manage the stress of a problem that never budged. I was getting comfort for being stuck, not tools to get unstuck.

I read over fifteen books on chronic pain. Not one of my seven therapists had read them. If you want to learn advanced cooking, you don’t stay forever with a teacher who only makes scrambled eggs, no matter how kind they are. I had study the chronic pain syndrome myself.

No specialist could answer my most fundamental question: Why don’t I want to do anything anymore, even the things I love most?

The answer is about two modes: survival and exploration. Your nervous system toggles between them. They can’t operate at the same time.

In survival mode, every resource is devoted to keeping you safe. Passion, curiosity, joy, even basic drives, are shut down. Your body is in a state of red alert.

The problem is, the system can malfunction. It can get stuck in survival mode, perceiving threats where none exist, locking away your capacity for a full life.

In exploration mode, the body feels safe. The alarms are off. Curiosity, connection, and joy are not only possible, they are natural.

This guide is a manual for switching modes. My own journey followed this map: Get validation -> Start self-education -> Test practices and keep what works.

So, get that professional support. Let it fortify you. Then, take that strength and apply it here, with these steps, as you begin the active work of reclaiming your life.