Change Your Thinking About Pain

Most patients have been referred by their doctor with the prescriptions to learn to accept their pain. They think they are going to have to live in the state of misery and just like it. I have never seen that to be true and have thought acceptance was something that came about in the course of learning how to cope with pain and the new self; however, recently I have changed my thinking. Acceptance needs to be one of the first jobs of someone dealing with their pain. Let me make it clear.

Acceptance has been delineated as 1) taking control, 2) living day to day, 3) acknowledging limitations, 4) empowerment, 5) accepting loss of self, 6) more to life than pain, 7) don’t fight battles that cannot be won and 8) spiritual strength. Some of the major features of acceptance is 1) acknowledgement that a cure for pain is unlikely, 2) that a shift of focus away from pain to non-pain aspects of life and 3) a resistance to any suggestion that pain is a signal of personal weaknesses. In the January 2003 edition of Pain, a journal dedicated to the study of pain, Lawrence McCracken looked at the effectivenessof coping skills (relaxation, distraction, time management, sleep habits, rational thinking, etc.) vs. acceptance. He found that acceptance had more effect on pain, disability, depression, anxiety and activity than coping skills. He demonstrated acceptance of pain was more helpful than mere coping skills. In a research study done in 2004 in the journal Pain, acceptance was found to contribute to less attention to pain, more engagement with daily activities, higher motivation to complete activities and a better effectiveness to perform daily activities.

In twelve step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Gambling Anonymous, etc. the first step is an acceptance of one’s powerlessness over the targeted malady. The cornerstone of a twelve step program is declaring one’s defeat over the very thing they have been fighting. It seems to me that acceptance, as the first step of pain management, would be important in that it is a declaration of helplessness over the reality of pain and it’s continuance in one’s life. It is the acceptance of the contingency of pain that allows a person to focus on non-pain aspects of life. Declaring one’s helplessness or powerlessness to the pain does not mean that one has no choices, on the contrary, the research demonstrates that it is empowering. Denying the reality of pain (i.e., pushing beyond one’s limit; trying to out work or outlast the pain; refusing to nurture the hurt) takes time and energy away from living other aspects of life (relationships, marriage, family, social.) Denying one’s helplessness to pain is essentially refusing to consider inescapable reality.

I have been seriously thinking about including a twelve step program into my pain groups. Acceptance as the beginning step seems promising and exciting. It would be greatly beneficial for me and to others to hear from you as to your experience with acceptance.

Dr. Hawkins received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 1979. Dr. Hawkins began consulting with MDs and treating medical patients in 1982. He is a member of the American Academy of Pain Management, American Psychological Association and Oklahoma Psychological Association. He is a member of the National Register of Health Service Providers. Dr. Hawkins is Past President of the Oklahoma Health Service Providers. He has conducted workshops about pain management cognitive behavioral therapy for both professional and patient populations.
http://chronicpainrecovery.com