Getting rid of "Crutches "

I read in "Pain Free for Life " by Dr. Scott Brady that to heal we need to get rid of all our " crutches " with the possible exception of pain medication to begin with. I have been trying to do this over the past couple of weeks and have managed to do so with limited success. The heating pads and most of the pillows I have been able to do without fairly successfully. I put away the ice packs and I have reduced the meds by 1/3. I still go on my massage therapy bed regularly. Yesterday the pain was so miserable that it disrupted my sleep for the first time in weeks. Of course this brought back the depression and anxiety to the point that I had a major panic attack.

Getting the ice pack back out makes me feel guilty and like I am once again failing at getting rid of this pain. Does anyone have any advice regarding "crutches "? Will continuing to use an ice pack and the massage bed really prevent me from healing? I know it will take time and a lot of work to overcome TMS but am I making matters worse by not giving up all of these things?

 

Looking back on this I am wondering if the journaling I had done the previous day may have brought on more pain. I was writing about a situation that I feel has had a great deal to do with bringing on the pain due to a lot of suppressed feelings of guilt and shame. Maybe the increased pain is actually a good sign? that I am getting to the more emotionally repressed feelings? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

It seems to me that you are totally getting it.
Only thing I'd like to advice is to see massages as a way to relax mentally (and therefore physically...), not as a method to change anything structurally in order to feel less pain. A gentle massage can be even more effective than a rough one, because it makes you feel safe, relaxed and cared for. And do not feel guilty if once and a while you fall into the crutches-trap. You are only human and we learn by making mistakes once and a while.
take care!

 

I do not consider heating pads or extra pillows to be crutches at all. I consider them something that makes me feel warm and safe and cuddled. I have no intention of giving them up. Just as eye pillows induce relaxations around the eyes, heat can trigger a softening. Hot drinks can do that for me, too. Shedding the pharmaceuticals was a definite goal, which was accomplished years ago. But all my other 'feel good' methods are staying with me. Just as I often use bolsters and blocks while practicing yoga. Simply the awareness that they are there can trigger a softening. I would consider it more practical to keep the things that make you feel nurtured and work on removing the toxin of pharmaceuticals from your body. For me, I found the drugs to be far more harmful.

And massages .... oh yes. We need to be touched, and that is a lovely way let someone nurture you

.... with Love and Gratitude ^_^

 

Giving up all of my physical crutches, e.g. over the counter meds, ice packs, bolsters, etc was not something I felt compelled to do, particularly when I was doing in-depth journalling. Too may emotional crisis were arising each day and I needed the outside "support." Some days the journaling offered some pain release, other days the journaling intensified the pain.

Some authors proscribe giving these things (crutches) up, but my body told me otherwise. My goal has been to 'practice' letting go. Letting go of old hurts, letting go of unhelpful attitudes, letting go of unhelpful people in my life, and letting go of other, more physically tangible crutches. All of these were, in their own way, crutches. A work in progress, that is taking time, but working overall. I find I am somedays not in need of my physical crutch of the walking stick, other days it is crucial. I go for massage with a wonderful, skilled, and understanding masseuse, I have ice packs in the freezer (just in case), and I sleep with funny, various sized pillows available and close by. I do not see using a 'crutch' in however you describe it as a 'mistake'. Trust yourself to know.
Lainey

 

Lou
I also have my beloved dog following me along in this site!
Lainey

 

Sorry,
Lily Rose, good day to you.
I meant to respond to Lou with the 'dog' post.
Lainey

 

Thank you Gigalos, Lily Rose and Lainey for your comments and support. I think you are right. Even though I do hope to eventually get rid of most of them, I am not ready yet and am probably putting too much pressure on myself by trying to do too much at once. Some of my crutches I have left behind and don't miss or need them anymore but some of them I think I will just use when I need to and stop worrying about them. I keep forgetting that an important part of the program has to do with being kind and caring to myself. Thank you for the reminder.