Chronic conditioned response

Hi All

I have lived with chronic pain for the last 10 years - diagnoses by docs Myofascial Pain Syndrome, TMJ and Fibromyalgia. I realised some years ago that this must be psychosomatic in nature. It began with daily tension headaches, and escalated into a monster of body-wide excruciating pain. A neurologist prescribed Gabapentin, and I have been using this drug for the last 9 years.

I have tried many times to wean myself off it, to no avail. In the past few months, I have managed to taper down a little, and really want to push myself this time to come off it altogether. I am also currently trying to study to become a dog trainer. My problem is conditioned responses. They are unbelievably stubborn and ridiculous in nature. My pain escalates to a 10 when I try to read or use any sort of technology, eg computer, tablet or ‘phone, which makes study very difficult.

I really want to succeed this time in both coming off the drug and realising a dream of becoming a dog trainer, but both seem impossible without enduring sharp and unceasing pain.

At the moment, just writing these few paragraphs has made my pain off the scale in intensity, and I will be suffering for it for the rest of the day. Where do I begin to stop the neural pathways from firing up? How do I convince myself that these activities are harmless?

Many thanks
Freckle