Chronic pain and Mental health

[Shaz51]

@Rubyrose1 

This is the thread , here for you to chat whenever you like 

Also Topic Tuesday // Let’s Chat: Chronic Pain & Mental Health // Tues 1st March, 7:00-8:30PM AEDT is good to read 

@Boo13 , @Bow , @Former-Member 

[Rubyrose1]

thank you @Shaz51 

[Former-Member]

Hello to those following along with this discussion 😊
@Shaz51 @Rubyrose1 @Boo13 @Zoe7 @Bow 

I can hear that being a carer or supporting others as well as managing own needs has its obvious challenges + the chronic pain element added. 

I was re-reading over the wisdom shared with last week's TT event & thought I'd highlight this quote from our guest @Former-Member . To me I thought it was a good one to share with you all here.

"Setting boundaries around my energy budget has been a hard lesson, one I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning. I have had to become extremely comfortable with saying no--even when doing so upsets others, because my right to a safe quality of life is non-negotiable. I’m also not perfect, and sometimes I know what my limits are and push them anyway because I really want to participate in something. Being conscious of this can still be supportive, though! Because I can still utilise harm reduction practices to try and soften the blow when I inevitably crash land later and explore accessibility options that can reduce or eliminate barriers to participation."

Please feel free to share any of your own take aways or thoughts around this 🧡 

[TheJuZShoW]

I have posted this is the looking after ourselves forums: https://saneforums.org/t5/Looking-after-ourselves/Pain/m-p/1156206#M88962 

"I have a huge range of health issues that affect my mood. After work yesterday I felt lethargic. I have 4 health issues that cause me a lot of chronic pain. I have hip dysplasia, a degenerative lower spine that is seemly crumbling, I have a bakers cyst in my left knee and another de generation in my left ankle. It was all playing up all at once. A lot of the time it's not within my control. I cried while I was on the couch and then I woke up at 3am and  cried more. I couldn't stop crying for a couple of hours. Ontop of this I had a friend messaging me telling they have gallstones. I had another friend telling me they were so bored. How the hell can I be there for anyone if no one can be there for me also! I finally have a few seshs booked with my psychologist. But who thinks the right way when they are in pain? I drank over this. I could of just reached out to TNM community and read the book more. But I didn't and I made myself feel guilty and that I let everyone including myself down."

[Daisydreamer]

Hi @TheJuZShoW so glad you found this space, and we hope you find others here who understand the experience of living with pain

To make it easier for the community to follow, I have just added the link to your original post and added quotation marks to make it easier to know which bits were copied and pasted. Hope that's okay! 🙂

[TheJuZShoW]

Thank You so much @Daisydreamer ! Every little thing helps!

[Shaz51]

Hello and hugs @Boo13 , @Rubyrose1 , @TheJuZShoW , @Rubyrose1 , @Former-Member , @Daisydreamer , @Former-Member 

How is everyone going today 

I say my pains are a 5 at the moment 

Also worst at night times 

[TheJuZShoW]

@Shaz51  Yeah, I am not to bad atm. my pain is about a 5. its a bitch of a catch 22 because if I dont move around enough I get sore and vica versa when I don't move much at all. Thank you for checking in.

[Shaz51]

Sending you lots of understanding hugs @TheJuZShoW 

Sometimes it is  hard getting that right balance between doing t.oo much and not enough xx

[Former-Member]

Came across this & thought was relevant to share with you folks here.
Hope you're all doing OK 
@Shaz51 @TheJuZShoW @Daisydreamer @Rubyrose1 @Boo13