Your attitude and self-perception are crucial factors for continuing to maintain a good life. As I sometimes struggle with my situation, feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, I find it beneficial to keep a journal, set realistic goals, attend church, learn and read. I use these tools to increase my knowledge of myself as well as gain useful knowledge about the RSD in me and to grow stronger spiritually.
- All humans experience pain.
- Believing we are the Body of Christ and that final glory will be in all, pain becomes more bearable for me.
- Many people make a choice to move closer to or shut out God when a chronic condition affects them directly.
- Our spirituality can offer an escape from our pain.
- Pain affects creativity and causes chaos when not put into proper perspective.
- Pain is part of reality, humanity and responsibility.
- There are dark times in most chronic pain sufferers’ paths where we contemplate what we are here for.
- To stop LIVING would be the worst thing we could do to get through the pain and to honor GOD.
- Hope is True!
When I am in severe pain, I try to share the pain experience with others, not to complain, but to find understanding, despite knowing deep down that we can never feel what someone else’s pain is like. As we encounter pain, we become stronger in faith or weaker in faith. Pain can destroy a person and those around him. If you allow it, pain will destroy everything good in your life. Those of us who live a life of unsought pain represent the mystery of life and our deep need for survival as a race. My spirituality has grown from my need for survival. My daily prayer and hope is to lessen the pain. As the pain transforms me, my instinct for survival, which is a deep instinct for us all, strengthens me and helps me stay in the light of God’s grace.
Pain is often associated with suffering. Does our suffering improve our ability to help humanity? At one point or another, my pain has affected my creativity and has caused chaos when not put into perspective. Many people make a choice to move closer to God or close Him out when a chronic condition affects them directly. For me, I have found a deeper awareness of God’s presence in my life and in those around me. I choose to look at the world through positivism and miracles. There are dark times in most chronic pain sufferers’ paths where we contemplate what we are here for. Finding a goal and the path to follow is important to keeping up our spirits. Without goals and direction, we tend to create disharmony and chaos. If we are not aware of God in our life, our pain loses its humanity. To stop LIVING would be the worst thing we could do to get through the pain. Turning to our higher power and using our worldly tools will help us achieve for the greater good of everyone.
adapted from the best selling book RSD in Me! by Barby Ingle
