Chronic pain is challenging to deal with. Some of the leading causes of chronic pain include past injuries or surgeries, back problems, migraines, nerve damage, arthritis, infections, and nerve damage, among other things. Whether it’s a severe pain in your neck, back, or shoulder pain, it can have real effects on your day-to-day life. According to WebMD, chronic pain is any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months. Your body can hurt for weeks, months, or even years after injury. Having something as debilitating as chronic pain can leave you feeling hopeless. Yet, there is hope amid your suffering. Here are six ways to find it.
Know that you’re not alone.
You are never alone, no matter what struggle you’re going through. Many people want to know that they are not going through pain by themselves, that there are people who are having similar feelings of confusion, sadness, and guilt, which can be extremely overwhelming. Knowing this can bring many people some sense of hope. One thing that can help us deal with our chronic pain is knowing that we are not alone in our struggles and suffering. You may think that your issues are un-relatable, but there is someone else you may not even know who is going through the same thing you’re going through.
Know that it’s not your fault.
Don’t ever blame yourself for the pain that you are going through. If you’re not getting better or feel like you are making little progress, know that it’s not your fault. It’s easy for that sinister feeling of guilt to creep in on us. This isn’t the kind of guilt that tells you that you shouldn’t have had that piece of chocolate or stayed up too long binging that new series on Netflix. This is the kind of guilt that tells you it’s your fault you haven’t gotten any better. You start thinking that you are preventing your own healing. This voice will tell you you’re a failure or that you’re not trying hard enough. Don’t allow this voice to sabotage you in your chronic pain journey. We must remember that we can do everything we are supposed to do and still not be healed. Some people will get better faster than us. Some people will never see the results they were looking for. As you continue through the process of pain management, you have to stay strong and preserver. Don’t let giving up be an option. Don’t let the enemy tell you that you should.
Find purpose in your pain.
Sometimes, our purpose in life can be revealed through our pain. It’s hard to understand why we are going through the pain we’re experiencing. We may never have the answers. Yet, when we are clear that there is nothing that happens in our life by accident or happenstance, we see that there is a greater purpose in some of our toughest experiences. Think about the people you may touch when you share your experience with them or bond with them through shared experience. Think about the message you can send to others when they say you are persevering through an extremely difficult circumstances. Your purpose may be connected to your pain, and there is hope in being able to share that with others.
Keep a gratitude journal.
Some people who are struggling with chronic pain keep a gratitude journal. One of the great things about writing about your blessings is that it actually trains the brain to positively see things. It may seem small, but taking the time to write out even two blessings a day can change a person’s outlook on their life. You don’t have to write down anything super profound. It can be something as simple as “I’m thankful for the beautiful sunrise” or “I’m thankful that my friend stopped by to visit me.” Those small points of gratitude can go a long way.
Join a support group.
Great things can come out of being in the community. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, consider joining a support group. Doing this will help you realize that others are going through the same thing. You are not alone in this fight. During this process, you can receive support and also offer it to others. This can help you find hope. This person will walk with you through your journey to pain recovery. Many times, friendships also come out of these support groups as well.
Keep a sense of humor.
They say laughter is the best medicine, and for a good reason. Swiss researchers found that laughter and humor can increase pain tolerance. This may be because laughter release endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals in our brains that can help relieve tension in our muscles. It can also help distract us from the pain that we are going through. You may find yourself laughing through your pain and pulling yourself through it. Laughter can also help you have a better quality of life overall. There are great benefits to laughing with friends and family. It gives us the boost we need to get through the good and the bad times.
Building a solid foundation of hope can carry you through some of the toughest storms we face in life. If you are ready to find true hope, place your complete trust in God. He is the ultimate source of hope. When we come to God, He has the power to totally restore us. The next step is strengthening your faith. We can turn to the Bible for countless examples of how God has provided hope in some of the toughest circumstances. Remember, people who lived during biblical times also experienced chronic pain. We see some of these figures in the Bible trusting in God, and through faith, patience, and trust, that hope being fulfilled.
