Living in chronic pain, I spent a lot of time withdrawing into myself. I didn't want to talk about my pain all the time, I didn't want to have to explain myself (why I couldn't do things) over and over again, I didn't want to worry other people, and I didn't want to have to hear their advice (usually not very helpful) over and over again. So, I learned to stop talking about my pain.
The only problem was, my silence contributed to a loss of a sense of self.
It felt like I was disappearing inside my pain. My pain was invisible to others and, over time, I felt like I was becoming invisible myself.
This lead to even greater feelings of alone-ness and isolation in my pain and, in the long run, wasn't the healthiest option. I had to learn how to share my pain, who I could (and should) share my story with, and how much.
Keeping your pain to yourself solves some problems, but creates others. In the video, Do You Feel Invisible in Chronic Pain? I talk about these issues and make suggestions for how to balance your silence and your sharing in ways that will be more supportive of your healing.
This isChapter 11 of The Pain Companion: Invisibility and Silence and you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/qGrkrh92gHM
The only problem was, my silence contributed to a loss of a sense of self.
It felt like I was disappearing inside my pain. My pain was invisible to others and, over time, I felt like I was becoming invisible myself.
This lead to even greater feelings of alone-ness and isolation in my pain and, in the long run, wasn't the healthiest option. I had to learn how to share my pain, who I could (and should) share my story with, and how much.
Keeping your pain to yourself solves some problems, but creates others. In the video, Do You Feel Invisible in Chronic Pain? I talk about these issues and make suggestions for how to balance your silence and your sharing in ways that will be more supportive of your healing.
This isChapter 11 of The Pain Companion: Invisibility and Silence and you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/qGrkrh92gHM
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