September is Pain Awareness Month. Chronic pain takes so much from you because you can’t do anything without pain, and there are some things people with chronic pain used to enjoy but no longer can. I am always talking about everything that chronic pain has taken from me because if you want to support your loved ones in pain, it’s important to understand that. Chronic pain has taken so much from me, and there are some things that I have stopped doing because of pain. It has not taken away all my joy, and there are still some things I can enjoy while living with pain. Chronic pain forces you to give up certain activities and do things in a slightly different way to accommodate your pain levels, but there are some things that pain has not taken from me. What things has chronic pain not taken from me? In this post, I am sharing five things I can still do while living with chronic pain.
I still have a desire to blog- When you live with pain, it can be hard to sit and concentrate because pain is distracting and makes it hard to sit and create quality content. I have been blogging for nine years, and for the first couple of years of blogging, I did not have chronic pain, and I still enjoy it now that I have chronic pain. Blogging with chronic pain is hard, but I still have a desire to blog, and if anything, my chronic pain has made me want to advocate more. There is so much stigma when it comes to pain, and if anything, my chronic pain has given me more of a desire to blog about invisible pain. Blogging with chronic pain looks different, and people with pain often can’t be as consistent as someone without chronic pain. I have days when I can’t blog because my pain levels are too high, but I am fortunate my chronic pain hasn’t ruined my desire to blog. Some people with chronic pain quit blogging because they are in too much pain, and I am fortunate I am not in a place where I have to consider quitting for less pain. Pain can change over time, and there may be one day that I do quit blogging because of pain, but for now I am still enjoying it.
My pain has not taken away my ability to exercise- When you live with chronic pain, it can be hard to exercise because sometimes exercising triggers more pain. Some people with chronic pain are not able to exercise without flaring their symptoms, but I am fortunate that my pain has not taken away my ability to exercise. I sometimes exercise less because of pain and have to make adjustments to my routine to accommodate my pain levels, but my pain has not taken away my ability to exercise. I don’t enjoy exercising as much and can’t exercise at the same intensity as someone without chronic pain can, but I am grateful I still have that ability. Movement makes me feel so much better, and I am so grateful that I haven’t had to stop exercising because of pain.
My chronic pain has not affected relationship with friends family- Chronic pain can affect relationships because pain is often invisible, and people don’t believe pain they cannot see. In the past, I have lost friends because of my disability, and I am fortunate that my chronic pain has not negatively impacted the relationships I have with friends and family. People in my family are understanding and have never called me a faker when I have to cancel things at the last minute because of pain. People in my life sometimes get sad when I am crying, and my chronic pain is visible, but I am fortunate that it has not destroyed any relationships I have within my own family. Some disabled people have people within their own families who don’t believe their pain is real, and I am grateful that I have never had that experience.
It is not taken away my happiness- Chronic pain changes a person, and depending on the severity of your pain, it can make some people depressed and angry. On bad pain days, I sometimes get depressed like most people do, but I am grateful that my pain has not gotten so bad that it makes me angry and depressed, because chronic pain will do that to you. My pain has taken the joy out of doing some activities, but for the most part, I am in good spirits most of the time because I try very hard not to let my pain ruin my happiness.
Pain has not taken away my ability to leave my home- When you live with chronic pain, sometimes it can be hard to leave your home, and some people may have pain so severe it makes them completely bed-bound. I have days I have to cancel plans I was planning on attending because my pain decided to flare but for the most part I can go out and do things like someone without pain can. I don’t have as much energy as someone without chronic pain, but I still can go to the movies and not have bad flares every single time. My chronic pain has not prevented me from being able to leave my home, and I am so grateful for that because it is depressing to be stuck in bed all the time. My pain has made it more difficult to go out and enjoy certain activities but I am grateful that I am still able to go out and experience life because there are so many people in pain where that is not their reality
When you live with chronic pain, it is easy to focus on all the negatives of living with pain because there are more negatives than positives. Pain takes so much from you and it so important that we recognize that, but at the same time it’s also important to be aware of all the things pain doesn’t take from you. There are some activities that trigger my pain that I no longer do, but there are also a lot of activities I still can enjoy while living with pain. I sometimes have to do things in a slightly different way to accommodate my pain, but it doesn’t ruin everything in life. Chronic pain changes the way I do certain activities, but I still try to enjoy life while living with pain because feeling sorry for yourself all the time is no way to live. It is so important that we remind ourselves of all the things pain hasn’t taken away from us because it’s easy to forget that. Everyone with chronic pain has different experiences, and these are things that my pain has not taken away from me personally. People with more severe pain may have more restrictions and be able to do less than me. What has your chronic pain not taken from you? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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