If I were to answer...I would say that I am living with it. Yes there are days when I'm knocked on my butt and my abilities are gone...but I am still living. There are things I can do to help myself when the pain tries to take control. There are choices I can make. I am in control...not my pain.
Now I won't say it's always been like this. There were days when I was suffering...days when I thought I couldn't go on...days when I just wanted to give in, give up, and quit. Those days are real for many of us but you know what? we're still living.
I think we suffer when we don't see a way out...when we can't imagine living a hurting life...when we don't know which way to go or what to do to help ourselves...we feel lost and out of control. We can get lost in all the negativity of our pain and the things we can't do now...and we get stuck.
It took me many years, many tears, and many falls too, but I can now say that I don't suffer from my pain...I live with my pain. My thoughts were the biggest thing I had to gain ground on. I had to change how I viewed myself, my life, my abilities, and so much more still. Things had to change and it started there...with me.
Now I'm not saying it's been easy...and there are some days I still have to remind myself...but...when we change our thoughts...we can take the steps to change our lives. When we learn to see things differently.. our worlds can change and so can we. How you think...affects how you feel. How you feel...affects how you think.
There are things you can do to help yourself...will you? and what will you do?
Yes, some things changed...but not everything about you did.
Yes, you're hurting...but you're still alive...and you have a life to live.
So let me ask you again...are you living or are you suffering? Now if you're suffering...what can you do for you moving forward to help you live instead?
Take good care of you
Tammy