From the moment we were born, even when we don’t remember it, we felt pain. All throughout our lives, pain will always be present. Whether it’s emotional or physical, pain is part of being alive. Naturally, so is dealing with pain. It’s part of who we are.
We can never escape pain but we can manage it and even use it to our advantage.
Dealing with Pain
Get to the roots
When we feel physical pain, it is our brain’s way of telling us that something’s wrong. Pain is a messenger whom we need to listen to. If we ignore pain, we may be exposing ourselves to the worst.
Some people tend to “silent” their pain by taking pain reliever right away. Pain relievers are good when the pain seems intolerable and recurring. In which case, you are most probably prescribed with one. But when you just initially feel it, you have to listen to your body. Why are you feeling such pain in a certain area? What happened before that that might have caused it? How painful is it? Get to the roots of the pain so you will know how to deal with it.
Identify it
When you get to the roots of where the pain originates, you will then be able to identify it. What kind of pain is it? Could that headache be brought by too much time in front of the computer monitor or phone screen? Was it because you only had two hours of sleep? What about that stomach ache? Is it due to indigestion? Or is it recurring? If it is, you need to check with an internal medicine doctor.
Feel and detach
Nobody likes being hurt. People numb their emotional pain because they don’t want to deal with it. Who can blame them? Pain is messy. It affects your well-being and if you let it, pain will leave you paralyzed-unable to function normally, unable to move on. Running away is not an effective way of dealing with pain. It will only make it worst.
The only way you can let go of pain is when you have identified it and allowed yourself to feel it. Recognize it. and then let go. You can never let go of something you don’t hold. You must feel the pain so you can detach from it.
“You’re afraid of the pain, you’re afraid of the grief. You’re afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only then can you say, “All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.”
Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
Strengthen your mind
Pain is felt because your brain tells you so. Train your mind to be strong enough to handle pain. Get into meditation exercises. Enrol in yoga where you don’t only train your mind to focus, but you also strengthen your body. A simple walk in nature like a stroll along the shore could also help clear your mind and get you into a more meditative state. A trained and strong mind can handle pain more effectively.
Find purpose in pain
No matter how long the night is, morning will always come. No matter how painful the situation you are in, there is always a reason for rejoicing. Joy or happiness is an effective antidote for emotional pain. Think about the purpose of that pain. Maybe it is to remind you to take care of your body better. Don’t abuse your health; don’t pass off sleep, eat healthy, avoid or quit your vices altogether.
Maybe you are also being taught a lesson. The pain in our lives is mostly due to disappointment, betrayal, losing, or failing. Learn the lesson in every situation so you will not go through the same phase again. Pain is a great teacher.
Seek help
There are serious situations when pain can only be remedied by professional help. If pain is persistent in specific areas of your body, consult a doctor. You might be required to get an x-ray or tests to see what could really be causing the pain. For psychological pain that you can’t seem to shake off, you might want to talk to an expert. Book an appointment to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness or surrender. It actually means you are not giving up the fight and finding ways to deal with pain more effectively.
Choose your own remedy for dealing with pain
If music can help you focus and relax, go ahead and put on your headphones and play some good playlist. Go out for a run, a leisurely walk or a swim. Spend time with your pets. Play an instrument or learn to play one. Find a new hobby. These are good distractions that will take your mind off the pain that bothers you. Do something productive. Be careful not to engage in destructive hobbies though that might cause you more damage than healing.
Dealing with pain may not be easy at first. But you have to choose between two kinds of pain; the pain of commitment or the pain of regret.
Bo Sanchez
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There’s never been an era in history when we’ve had so many available distractions from dealing with our pain. Thanks for this invitation to live THROUGH it and to be refined by it.
True, pain and sufferings are part of life but how we deal with them truly tell us how strong and powerful we are. I used to get migraine headaches frequently and believe me they can be sooo painful. Understanding the root cause and eliminating it, helped me reduce its occurrence. Also meditation and reiki helps me big time in reducing the intensity of pain. Thanks for an insightful post!
Suffering can make our lives hell and you made some good points on not hesitating in seeking help and adopt a healthy life style. It matters. I am making few changes to life and adopt a better way of doing things. There is always a purpose and meditation or yoga always helps to deal with pain.
ironically for an anaesthesiologist whose primary purpose is physical pain relief, most of what I deal with with friends and family ends up being mental pain relief. And yes, that requires people to acknowledge the pain and more importantly, learning to let go of it.
It consumes us otherwise.