When I started my blog, I always knew that I was going to write about my disability because I live with a disability and know a lot about that, but I didn’t think that I would be writing about chronic pain. Chronic pain is not something that I have always experienced, and not everyone with Spina Bifida has chronic pain. Writing about pain can make people without chronic pain a little uncomfortable because it’s depressing to be in pain all the time but it is a reality for so many people. Chronic pain affects so many people, and it is a huge part of my life that I can’t ignore because I spend a vast majority of my time managing symptoms. You don’t have to be disabled to have chronic pain because it can affect anyone at any age, and it’s important we talk about it to spread awareness and break stigma, even though it makes some people uncomfortable. Why do I write about pain? In this post, I am sharing why I have chosen to write about chronic pain.
Help doctors better understand pain– Doctors learn a lot about certain medical conditions in school, but they don’t know everything, and there are a lot of things doctors don’t know. People in pain are often dismissed by doctors and told that their pain is not real and is just anxiety because they don’t look like they are in pain. I don’t know how many doctors have read my blog, if any doctors do, but I do hope that if someone in healthcare were to come across my blog that they would learn something about chronic pain. I write about pain to educate doctors and anyone who doesn’t live with pain because the belief that everyone with severe pain cries endlessly is not true and harmful. People in pain are not getting good care because they aren’t showing visible signs of pain and are left suffering. I hope that my pain posts help doctors better understand how chronic pain negatively affects your life, because you will be a better provider when you understand that not all pain is visible and most of it isn’t. Doctors not believing patients is what causes a lot of mental health issues that make someone not want to live anymore, and believing patients’ pain will save lives.
I write to validate other people’s pain– As a disabled advocate, I am not here to tell people how to cure their chronic pain because I don’t have the medical knowledge to be able to do so. I started writing about pain to validate the pain of others and be a support system for those who don’t have one. People in pain sometimes feel like no one gets it, and because I live with pain, I am able to connect with people in ways that someone without chronic pain can’t. I am not here to judge the way you are managing your pain, and I write to support you because it’s so important that people in pain feel validated. We deal with so much stigma from friends and doctors, and it’s so important to have a space where you can talk about pain without being judged. I can’t relate to every type of pain, and I can only relate to the types of pain that I experience, but I do understand how much chronic pain takes over your life. You don’t have to be able to relate to all types of pain to be supportive, and everyone with chronic pain understands how it changes you. When your pain is not believed, you are more likely to experience mental health issues, which is why I write pain because I will never tell you that your pain is not real. Talking about pain makes people feel validated, and when you feel supported, it can prevent some mental health issues
I write to help others have less pain- I write about my chronic pain to educate others, but I mostly write to help other chronic pain patients have less pain. Chronic pain can be debilitating, and doctors do not always give you solutions for your pain because they don’t always know. I write about what helps me have less pain with the hopes of helping others who are struggling and desperate for pain relief. There are a lot of different ways to manage pain, and not everyone is going to find relief from the same things I do but I do hope that some people come across my pain posts and get relief. People in pain shouldn’t be left suffering, but often are because doctors don’t realize the negative impact pain has on their lives. I will never be able to provide any cures for anyone’s pain, but you can help so many people with your experiences who have lost hope. Writing about pain helps others, and sometimes it helps me improve my pain because sometimes people leave suggestions in my comment section that I may not have tried.
It distracts me from my pain– Some days I have less pain than others, but I am constantly in pain, and I can’t do anything without some level of pain. Blogging helps me cope with my pain, and it distracts me on my worst days because when I am sitting doing nothing, thinking about my pain, it makes it ten times worse. I write about pain because it’s depressing, and sometimes I need to be busy and distract myself from my pain to avoid becoming depressed.
I write to help family members be more supportive- My family is supportive of my pain, and I have never had a family member tell me that they don’t believe my pain is real. My chronic pain is invisible, and sometimes I get the impression that my family doesn’t truly understand how it impacts everything I do because people sometimes say things that make it obvious. I write about my pain to help my family understand why I may not do certain things, because when people understand, they can better support me.
When I started blogging, I never thought I would be writing about chronic pain because most of my life, I only occasionally struggled with pain. Writing about pain is so important because it can happen to anyone at any time, and you don’t have to be old to develop chronic pain. I write to share my experiences and break chronic pain stigma because sometimes people believe things that are hurting pain patients, so they don’t get good care. I write about pain, not to inspire you but to educate you on the realities of chronic pain because misinformation does not create change that will improve the lives of people in pain. I can’t change my pain, but I can use it to educate others and give my pain a purpose. Writing about pain is so important because most people will never understand what it’s like and need to hear from people living with pain. Why do you write about chronic pain? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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