Episode 14: Who are you without your pain? Part 1

Episode 14: Who are you without your pain? Part 1.

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I have never considered the question fully, in reference to the pain until recently, when one of my young patients told me during a somatic tracking exercise we were doing in the office, that that’s her concern. She has had pain since she was 16. She got injured during martial art practice, doing something she routinely does, the injury was not properly addressed, and she developed headaches within a month of the injury that very soon became chronic. With time additional symptoms added on like lightheadedness upon standing up, fatigue and anxiety. The headaches became debilitating to the point she had to drop out of college.

We saw each other for the first time before Xmas, she was referred to me for a positive ANA. I did a thorough evaluation and did not think there was any evidence of lupus or other rheumatic autoimmune disease. I suspected that given her history of injury and not really having it addressed properly, her nervous system may have gotten a high alert signal and started misfiring. I explained to her the concept of neuroplastic pain. How the pain is generated by super-alerted brain. The pain is real but not caused by damage or injury (her MRIs have been normal). I explained that the pain pathways can be rewired because that’s what neuroplasticity means.

We talked about somatic tracking and meditation exercises. She came back last week and reported feeling a little better, with less anxiety, she said the headaches have not changed much. While we were doing somatic tracking exercise, she became very lightheaded, we paused, she drank some water and quickly recovered. As she was drinking water, she told me: “I have had the headaches for such a long time, I don’t really know who I am without them”.

It startled me because I have not been asking that question my clients and patients up until that point! But it makes PERFECT sense because if you have had pain for a LONG time, and it has limited what you do or how much you do in your daily life, of course it is a new circumstance to consider who you are without your pain! What will I do if I don’t have pain or if I have less pain? Who am I without my pain? What will be different? Will anything be different?

I want to share one more example of how this question is relevant. I have another patient, a lovely lady in her early 60’s who has been a part of addiction support group for years now. She has been so supportive of other members during the weekly sessions that the main coach suggested to her to become a coach herself. She initially did not consider it. Since we started working together utilizing the somatic tracking and self compassion approach last month, she has now started feeling better and has changed her mind about becoming a coach. Her Life path is changing as a result of pondering the possibility of who she was without her pain and what she could do without her pain!

I would like to summarize the process of pain reprocessing therapy that led my young patient to the thought of “who am I without my pain”:

• The default was – I have headaches, there is something wrong with me or my head.
• New consideration – my MRIs have been normal, and my exam is normal and my doctor is telling me that my nervous system is contributing or causing the pain.
• The brain research over the past decade shows that nervous system pathways CAN BE REWIRED!
• Hence, it is POSSIBLE, that my pain can get better! All it takes to send safety messages to my brain!
• I can do this! I am healthy, I can do somatic tracking, I can be kind to myself, I can have compassion for myself, and I can rewire the pain pathways!

I really really do want to hear from you! Have you been on the pain journey? Have you had experience with feeling the POSSIBILITY of being without pain? What did you do? What happened?

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