I wish I had seen this piece in the earlier days of my pain...maybe then I would have managed it better...maybe.
Truth is...living with chronic pain isn't just about living with the pain. It was a painful lesson that took me many years to learn, and honestly? I'm still learning it...learning to live it...learning.
Living a hurting life really isn't about our pain though...it's about the fear, depression and the panic we feel and how we cope with it. It's about our relationships and how our pain can impact them. It's about the feelings of guilt we feel and all the reasons we feel it and it's about grieving for the life we lost or can no longer live the way we want anymore. It's about the struggles we face daily and even our own negative thoughts OH...and the negativity of others (can't forget that because yes! we live with that too).
But one thing our hurting life is also? it's ours to live to the best of our abilities.
(meme found at Trigeminal Neuralgia on Facebook)
It's also about the things we do for ourselves when we're hurting, it's about the thoughts we keep and say to ourselves when nobody else is listening. All this and more is part of our now hurting life.
It's about learning to celebrate our achievements...even the small ones too. It's about learning to be patient with ourselves and even our limitations too. It's about doing the best you can with what you got each and every day...even when all you can do is breath. It's about finding the things that help make you feel good and the things that make you smile and enjoy your life.
Living a hurting life is also about letting go...and often that is the hardest part. We have to let go of what was and learn to accept what is. It's about learning to accept, love, care for, respect, and nurture who we are now regardless of our pain. It's about understanding and accepting that not everyone will see or even believe that we're hurting...but it's also accepting that they don't have to. It's not their life...it's ours...and it's up to us to live it the best we can whether anyone else understands or not. It's about the things we do for ourselves to help us move forward and through our pain.
Living with chronic pain isn't just about living with chronic pain...it's so much more. If you're struggling with how to talk about your pain and how it impacts you...share this with your loved ones and let them know about your hurting life and how you're living it.
take good care of you and each other...please
Tammy
It's about learning to celebrate our achievements...even the small ones too. It's about learning to be patient with ourselves and even our limitations too. It's about doing the best you can with what you got each and every day...even when all you can do is breath. It's about finding the things that help make you feel good and the things that make you smile and enjoy your life.
Living a hurting life is also about letting go...and often that is the hardest part. We have to let go of what was and learn to accept what is. It's about learning to accept, love, care for, respect, and nurture who we are now regardless of our pain. It's about understanding and accepting that not everyone will see or even believe that we're hurting...but it's also accepting that they don't have to. It's not their life...it's ours...and it's up to us to live it the best we can whether anyone else understands or not. It's about the things we do for ourselves to help us move forward and through our pain.
Living with chronic pain isn't just about living with chronic pain...it's so much more. If you're struggling with how to talk about your pain and how it impacts you...share this with your loved ones and let them know about your hurting life and how you're living it.
take good care of you and each other...please
Tammy
RSS Feed
