How to not think about the pain I have?

I have a condition in which I am in pain for most of the time though. I try to do other things to not think about how I feel ya. It seems hard to not think about pain though. I am really sad thinking about how I feel even though I know it won't help though. Does anyone here know how to think less about pain when you feel a lot of it. This is really hard for me ya. I am just sad to feel this way though. I want to feel less sad ya. Thanks.

I have daily chronic pain. I take medication, although it does not take all the pain away and some day the pain is still crippling.

the following link is to a Mindfulness site that explores meditation and mindfulness as coping skills for pain. I use these skills and it does help most of time to reduce my chronic pain.

www.mindful.org/?s=chronic+pain

Peace
Trina

I get pain a lot and discomfort too. Is there anything that lessens the pain at all, hot bath? Tens machine?
Coping with pain is hard, I remember reading a quote that's spot on, it goes "that's the thing with pain, it demands to be felt" and it does. I have found that I used to be afraid to do anything but I've found that activity has surprisingly helped a bit in the long-term. If you don't mind me asking, what causes your pain? Is it worse at certain times? Are there clinical trials you can try?

Hi

You aren't alone, I have pain everyday as well. Sometimes its just severe discomfort though so I get a bit of variety. It affects me a lot and gets me very down and makes me afraid.

It isn't easy, and the beginning is the toughest part because you don't know how you will cope with it and feel overwhelmed. I've had pain and problems somewhere or other for the last 4 years, and at first I was just a panicked mess, but gradually you begin to realise that you can cope, and you have been coping up to now. You may not feel like you have coped well, but noone does. If you are still here then you have coped well enough.

It's important to get medical help not only for the physical pain and bringing it under control, but psychological help as well because it takes its toll on all of us.

A few things I have found helpful is meditation and mindfulness. I try to distract myself from the pain when I can, but it isn't my only tool. Learning how to just sit with the pain and bear it was a big step for me in terms of anxiety. When you can sit and bear the pain it loses its power over you. Of course sometimes it is easier than others, and of course it still gets to me a lot, but my fear of it is less now than before, and that's a little victory.

Best distractions I have found are computer games, they dont require a lot of physical activity and require almost our entire focus so easier to just lose myself in a virtual world.

My Christian faith also helps me, to believe that this isn't the only life we live and that ultimately my pain will be gone can give a little hope when it feels like life is too much.