Читать книгу Above and Beyond - J.S. Dorian - Страница 32

“To learn new habits is everything; for it is to reach the substance of life.”

HENRI FRéDéRIC AMIEL

Sometimes it seems that our illness is like a three-ring circus with many acts taking place at once. Of course, we are always in the spotlight. Each day the tyrannical ringmaster, Pain, cracks his whip and forces us to jump through hoops.

We hate being at his mercy, that goes without saying, so over time we’ve found ways to defer and even defy Pain. Now, instead of having to jump through hoops several times each day, we do so less frequently. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s the best we can do right now.

Or is it? Maybe it’s time to search for new ways to loosen Pain’s hold on us. Maybe it’s time to revise our “pain habits” and really break out of our rut.

First, we can open our minds to methods of pain control we haven’t yet tried, such as yoga, massage, and creative visualization. Second, we can review our present habits with a medical professional who specializes in pain management. Finally, we can create a new pain management plan by charting the type and degree of pain we experience, the methods we’ve used for control, and the ones that work best.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Pain changes, always. Is the same true of my responses to it?