By Linda Ruiz


Historically, chronic pain and addiction were treated as separated issues. Pain clinics mainly focused on medical model. Resolving problems associated with addiction uses variety of strategies whose main emphasis is to help a patient recover from dependency on alcohol and drug. These two modalities cannot be able to help a patient who is faced by both addiction and chronic pain. If a pain disorder is associated to addictive behavior, the impact is worsened.

Addiction is closely related to emotional immaturity. Many individuals who become substance addicts do it because they find it difficult to counter their emotions. Alcohol and substance abuse does provide a temporal relief but in the end the case worsen. When a person escapes addiction, the emotions face them again. In order to recover successful, an addict needs to design better ways of dealing with emotions.

There are steps helpful in fighting chronic pain coupled with emotions. Acknowledging own feelings. The hardest thing would be to acknowledge your feelings mostly in cases where you encounter hard feelings. You must identify them though since you cannot fight something that you do not know. Avoid judging yourself too much and accept yourself. This way you will be compassionate to yourself and makes it easier to find the problem.

Pointing out the strengths. One should identify good thing about own self. This will aid to calm down in the time he or she is under pressure. Self confidence will also be reinforced. Another step that is important is reducing stress. This is aimed at relaxing the body. It will help in the reduction of stress hormones and thus makes someone to think more clearly and therefore better decisions are made.

Avoiding negative thoughts that cause depressed moods. Most individuals suffering from chronic emotional pain are pessimists. Negative thinking causes a distortion and portrays the situation as hopeless. In case of pessimism, one should look for evidence that will prove otherwise. It is important to believe in oneself and always ensure that there is no negative expectation.

Fighting the inner critic. This mostly happens if you have been judged harshly in the past. You should feel compassionate and understand situations. It is going to help you develop a perspective that will give you a peace of mind. You also need to choose a good company. A good company would be that without negative thinking.

Avoiding being obsessed with negative thoughts and feelings. One should understand what he or she believes in. At the same time, it crucial to avoid the negative ones since they will magnify pessimistic thinking as well as emotions. If one is feeling down, he or she should look for ways to better the situation. Giving enough attention to positive thinking will help a person to have control and thus possess a good mental health.

Finally, always fix the balance. Balancing oneself means taking into account all aspects of life. This will include eating well and exercising the body. It also includes; enough sleep, work, relationships and social life. One should have a routine which should be aimed at ensuring that the body is taken care of.




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