What if my pain goes away? (Day 25)

[EricMd]

I fear that if the pain goes away, I will stop trying to become the person I was meant to be. I am trying to be more engaged in life and it is a good thing for me. I am trying to tell people how I feel and feel I am making positive change in my life. I fear without the pain, I will slip back into my old comfortable ways. Maybe I will have GERD or IBS which can be masked with drugs? If pain keeps me on track, I can handle a little pain. I hope that I will continue to "move in the right direction".

 

[gailnyc]

Huh. That's funny, I have had similar thoughts. I hope I don't lose what I have gained.

 

[Forest]

Pain serves so many purposes. At first it serves to distract us, but after a while, as you pointed out, it can become almost a crutch. This is something that Steve Ozanich points in this thread. For a lot of us, myself included, we had pain for so long it is hard to know what it will be like without it. But here's the thing, the knowledge that you gained will always be with you. If you want to continue to explore the source of your emotions, there is nothing that is going to stop you. For me, being pain free led to more positive changes then less, mainly because my fear was gone.

Do I get some new symptom from time to time? Sure, but I know what is going on, and it never lasts more than a couple of days. The knowledge and growth you gained by doing this work will never go away.

 

[gailnyc]

Perhaps your knee heard you, Eric!