Return to Exercising with Health Challenges
Managing Emotional Pain of Chronic Illness and Trauma
Living with any chronic health condition can promote feelings of anger, frustration, fear and depression. It’s normal to have concerns about the future. Will I be able to remain independent? Can I care for myself? What will happen to my family and friends? Will I get worse?
Learning how to be your own self-manager involves learning
about your disease and what you can do to manage it.
Effective management of chronic pain can begin as you understand how it effects the brain and the body and better understand how to manage it:
Charlie Rose Brain Series - Pain explores this issue in depth. He also explores many other topics where leading doctors and scientists discuss biology, behavior, and the brain:
https://charlierose.com/collections/3
You become a partner with your clinician and other health care providers and obtain advice from a variety of sources. You will have to pick and choose and experiment. What you do about your illness is largely determined by how you think about it. The thoughts you have can greatly determine what happens to you and how you handle your health challenges. See Bob's Story, the physical activity section for ideas about how I have managed my multiple, chronic physical limitations, and injuries.
You can use your mind to manage your symptoms by using body scanning and relaxation techniques, imagery or by practicing the positive self talk.
Many diseases have side effects—beyond just the part of the body that they directly effect. It is common to be called upon to manage pain or fatigue by learning relaxation or emotional management techniques. Other techniques might include changes in nutrition, exercise or medications. See below Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions by Kate Lorig, RN (Editor) et al, Bull Publishing, 2000.
Again, exercise can be a powerful allay in helping manage health conditions. See the resources below and the resource section of this web site to become fit with any health condition or challenge.
Understanding Pain in less than 5 minutes, and what to do about it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_3phB93rvI A really great video!
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What are the Challenges That Derail Your Achieving a Healthier Weight... |
Resources for Managing the Emotional Pain of Illness
2017 NEW WAYS TO MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN.pdf Special report about pain--and new ways to find relief without using opiods.
200+ WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR PAIN:
2017
200+PAIN MANAGEMENT OPTIONS.pdf
Mindfulness Meditations and CD's and Tapes by Jon Kabat-Zinn Ph D.
Discover many wonderful ideas at: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/
Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain
Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions: Self-Management of Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Depression, Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema and Other Physical and Mental Health Conditions Fourth Edition
OR
SELF MANAGEMENT COURSE: http://www.nsmselfmanagement.ca/workshops/living-a-healthy-life-with-chronic-pain
I took the 6-week class in Portland OR at Hollywood Senior Center. Check to see if the class is given in your area.
OR
https://www.bullpub.com/living-a-healthy-life-with-chronic-pain.html
Check them out for many alternatives:
Complementary, Alternative,
Healing
Power: Ten Steps to Pain Management and Spiritual Evolution
by Philip Shapiro M. D.
Publisher Comments:
We seek unlimited peace, love and joy in an uncertain world where suffering
is inevitable. Because we manage our pain poorly, we get into trouble. The
wisdom of the ages, taught by the world's diverse religious traditions, offers a
solution to this dilemma by pointing out the connection between pain management
and the cultivation of spiritual qualities. When we develop a spiritual
practice, we learn how to transform our suffering into spiritual power. Dr.
Shapiro describes a self-help method of ten steps that propel spiritual
evolution. The ten steps teach us how to expand our healing power, improve our
pain management skills, and cultivate spiritual qualities. The central premise
is that life, through a series of painful lessons, teaches us that the peace,
love, and joy we seek in the outer world can and must ultimately be found
within. Dr. Shapiro elaborates twelve spiritual methods derived from the world's
great religions. These methods help us unlock healing and spiritual powers
inherent in the body. Detailed instructions explain how these methods help us
cultivate peace, love, joy, strength, and courage in response to any pain of the
body, mind, or soul. These qualities are the jewels of this life. They are
healers. They help us eliminate or endure any painful condition of body, mind,
or soul. They are more powerful than any barrier or challenge we may face. We
encounter trouble no matter which route we take, but the way offered here is the
path of least resistance, the way through our pain to peace, power, and
strength. As we move forward through the steps, we find ourselves living the
richest possible life, a journey where our spirit is in charge and we are ready
for anything!
Visit Dr. Shapiro at:
http://www.philipshapiro.com/
Here is an article about Dr. Phil's work:
Phil Shapiro Spiritual and Physical Healing.pdf
HEALING POWER WORKBOOK: E-BOOK OR http://www.philipshapiro.com/workbook
Gift From Within (www.giftfromwithin.org) a non-profit organization is dedicated to those who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), those at risk for PTSD, and those who care for traumatized individuals. GFW helps everyone with PTSD by sharing ideas, improving morale, and reducing the stigma of the diagnosis and its treatment. We have articles written by authorities in the field, poetry and art gallery for trauma survivors, peer support pal network, personal coping and inspirational stories, a Q&A, videos, book reviews, list of retreats for survivors, global list of trauma survivor support groups, and other educational materials and resources.
Some of our articles include: "The Art and Science of Caring for Others without Forgetting Self-Care"; Trauma Addiction: Safety and Stabilization for the Addicted Survivor of Trauma; Life After Breast Cancer: Surviving & Thriving; "Exposure To A Traumatic Event Does Not Automatically Put A Person On A Path To Develop PTSD: The Importance of Protective Factors To Promote Resiliency."; Latinas in Pursuit of Healing: Cultural Implications for Counseling Sexually Abused Latinas; "I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault and Abuse (excerpt)"; Trauma in American Indian Communities; Suffering in Silence: The Problem of Male Sexual Abuse; Stress Responses in Sexual Trauma Victims and in Others Experiencing Overwhelming Events ; Don't Make it Worse! Use of Alcohol or Drugs After Trauma; Secret Diet Disasters of Trauma Survivors
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: This classic survival manual offers you the first comprehensive patient guide for managing the common but often misdiagnosed conditions of Fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain. Its management techniques include targeted bodywork for painful trigger points and strategies to help you cope with the chronic pain, sleep problems, and numbing effects that occur as a result of the disease.
Fibromyalgia and the Mind Body Spirit Connection
Presents a 7-step practical guide to help you manage widespread muscular pain and fatigue— learn how to use the strength of the connection of your mind, body and spirit to overcome your symptoms, improve your sleep, and feel better than ever before.
William B. Salt II, M.D. and Edwin H. Season, M.D., Parkview Publishing, 2000.
How to Manage Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndromes: Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue.pdf Discover an extensive list of excellent resources and support.
Family Caregiver Alliance*
Information on Assisted
Living
www.caregiver.org/
Partnership for Caring*
Help with End-of-Life
Decisions
www.partnershipforcaring.org
Weight Control Information Network*
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/understanding.htm
Get valuable
info on all general diseases and conditions basics..
manage your health with our health advice, articles on different diseases and
conditions with their symptoms, causes, and treatment
http://www.diseasesatoz.com
Visit Kaiser Permanente's extensive HEALTH ENCYCLOPEDIA: http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthency/entrypage.do
Exploring Disease States and How to Best Manage Them
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Alzheimers Foundation of America Comprehensive Info on Alzheimers How to Manage & Slow Down Symptoms |
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