pain management using mental techniques

[Quickfeet]

Is there anyone else here using mental techniques to reduce pain? I haven't really discussed it with anybody because it sounds a little weird.

I think I have finally found something that works, but I think it might be all in my head.

I've been doing it for two days. So far its worked with phantom pain, but I haven't had any real pain to try it on. I was thinking about hitting myself with a hammer and testing it out.

I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts.

[natnnnat]

Yes there was someone who mentioned something like this once.  Vague enough for you?  Rightside springs to mind, maybe?

[okarol]

Is that like self-hypnosis?

[fearless]

here's my thought: don't try the hammer thing!  But seriously:  I have had different sorts of pain over the last 12 years, from chronic and mostly aggravating, to extreme wish-I could-just-become-unconscious pain.  I think that learning to find a place in yourself where you can kinda separate from the pain will enable you to deal with it better, but I haven't yet found a way to really truly mitigate the pain itself without medical intervention.  But i have to say too, that doesn't mean it's not possible - because it might just be that I've never reached that level.  But after twelve years of trying, I'm not extremely encouraged.  But I still use my "self-hypnosis" whenever I need/want to.  It helps to deal with the stress of pain, which I think makes pain worse.  Good luck to you friend.

[kristina]

Hello, Quickfeet,
thanks for asking this question, I have been wondering about this myself for a long time
but unfortunately I have not received any answer yet.....

I even wrote to the Department of Defence in the UK but they have not bothered to answer yet.

I wrote to them because one reads such a lot about “spies/agents” being trained to withstand pain,
but as yet I have not found anyone to explain me how they are being trained and how it works.
(I wonder if it only exists as fiction ?)

The reason for my enquiry is that I have had very fragile kidney function for over 40 years
ever since my kidneys first failed and because of this I am not able to take any painkillers ever.
I do not take any painkillers and sometimes it is so very hard
and it would be nice to find a method how to deal with the pain mentally.

I have tried hypnosis and self-hypnosis but unfortunately that does not work for me.
If there is anyone out there knowing about such a training as mentioned above and how it works,
I would be ever so grateful to hear from them.

Thank you.

[Quickfeet]

Here are a few things I have tried with varying success. Most require calm and relaxed states of mind.

[Quickfeet]

In a relaxed position, usually laying down. I would imagine waves flowing out from my body, washing the pain away.

Or I would imagine that the affected limb was gone. In my mind I would try to make my brain believe that my leg no longer existed. Hoping that the brain would ignore the pain signals. For me this actually intensified the pain.

Simply willfully blocking the pain would work on minor constant pain, but not on throbbing or moderate pain.

I have also practiced creating pain mentally. I am very good at that, but it hasn't helped me turn off the pain.

[Quickfeet]

Right now, some how I am changing the pain feeling into a vibration feeling. It feels like the minute or two after running a strong vibrator on your skin. It helps with my restless legs when I am a wake. Also helps with my neck pain. Haven't had a chance to try it on my gout.

[fearless]

It's important to remember that if the pain has a cause that can be treated, that is the main thing to do.  For instance, i believe gout can be addressed to a certain degree with diet and drugs.  Is that true?  Certainly if you are treating it in the best way you can and it's still painful, then you need to find a way to cope with it. But never forget that pain is often a message: to do something, or stop doing something.  cheers   

[CebuShan]

I suffer from migraines and back in the '70's I was taught a technique to help me cope until the pain medication could take effect. I had to visualize the pain as an object that could be manipulated. For me it was a dragon sitting on my head. each of his talons was pressing on a point on my head and face. Then, I slowly concentrated on getting him to release each talon one at a time. Usually by the time I had finished doing that, the pain meds had started to take effect. I still use this technique whenever I get a migraine and it still works for me all these years later.  I have only used it for migraines so I don't know how it would work for other types of pain.

[kristina]

Thanks for all the different ideas about pain-management,
it is very much appreciated and I shall try them out...

I have discovered one method which helps me a little and that is a breathing-method:

I breathe in deeply through my nose and count to ten whilst holding the air
and then I slowly breathe out through my mouth.
I repeat this about ten times and this method assists my body to relax despite the pain.

Thanks again and good luck from Kristina.

(P.S. the Ministry of Defence still has not answered my enquiry...
...makes me wonder if all those spy-stories are a figment of the imagination...?)

[SooMK]

I think there has been some evidence that mindfulness meditation can address chronic pain issues. Jon Kabat-Zinn has had a program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for some time. I have read several of his books and there is a chapter on managing chronic pain through mindfulness meditation in one of them. There is a lot of info available on the web and youtube. It does seem to work for some people as a way to alleviate stress and to manage chronic pain. Good luck.

[Riki]

I suffer from migraines and back in the '70's I was taught a technique to help me cope until the pain medication could take effect. I had to visualize the pain as an object that could be manipulated. For me it was a dragon sitting on my head. each of his talons was pressing on a point on my head and face. Then, I slowly concentrated on getting him to release each talon one at a time. Usually by the time I had finished doing that, the pain meds had started to take effect. I still use this technique whenever I get a migraine and it still works for me all these years later.  I have only used it for migraines so I don't know how it would work for other types of pain.

I like that.. I'm going to have to try that the next time I get a migraine..

[jbeany]

(P.S. the Ministry of Defence still has not answered my enquiry...
...makes me wonder if all those spy-stories are a figment of the imagination...?)

Actually, I think the only technique that they supposedly use to condition them to get used to pain is to expose them to a lot of it repeatedly.  Eventually, they learn to just compartmentalize it and function anyhow.  Not a technique I'd want to try, although my own surgical disasters would seem to back up the idea that it works for low level chronic pain.  Eventually, I've just learned to ignore it because I got tired of staying home doped out of my mind.  I know that I've learned to function with a constant pain level that would have dropped me to my knees back when I was healthy all the time.  Like so many other constants, the brain learns to block out the input.  Think of how hoarders can't smell the stink from their mess and city dwellers learn to sleep through the sound of subways rattling by their bedroom walls.  If it happens all the time, it's easier to block than something that only occurs at random.

[willowtreewren]

I'm glad I found this thread. I went through a mindfulness course a few years ago to help with pain management. It truly, truly helped.

I would recommend the books by Jon Kabot Zinn.

Best wishes with this.

Aleta

[Ladystardust24]

Not sure if this falls into this category:

But I have found "Reiki" works wonders. Reiki has done more for me than most pain killers I've gotten.

Also, mentally speaking.

When I have to do something very painful say in the medical setting. I look at something in the room. I just focus on it.

I also go to my happy place.

As weird as that might sound. I think of something that makes me super happy.

(Cuddled in a warm blanket, with unicorns and llamas. Happy music warm fuzzy feelings...)

It sounds silly. But I go to that place. I think of every detail. I imagine myself there. And it helps.

[fearless]

Ladystardust: makes perfect sense to me