Dealing with Chronic pain?

Many people in the U.S. deal with chronic pain daily. “According to data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 11.2 percent of American adults (25.3 million people) have experienced some form of pain every day for the past three months. The study also found that even more people — 17.6 percent of American adults — suffer from "severe levels" of pain.”** These numbers may seem overstated to some, but as one that suffers I see truth in these numbers.

The vast majority do not talk about it and “deal” with it privately. I have a friend that suffers from cluster headaches that would put most in the hospital. He quietly works through the pain. I watched, as a young man, seeing my father hurt so bad from migraines that we had to take him to the emergency room a couple of times. I could go through a long list of people that are in my life that suffer daily.

I keep using the word “suffer”. Merriam-Webster defines it as “to experience pain, illness, or injury”. Dictionary.com defines it as, “to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly”. Patiently or willingly? I don’t know of many that would endure it willingly. Maybe patiently, because we have no choice.

Over the next days (or so) I will unfold how I and others are learning to “experience pain, illness, or injury”. We will visit a promise, “It will be OK, but the time between now and OK will be tough”.

Stay tuned.

**  www.medicaldaily.com 8.11.15