Living along side CPS takes skills and strategies. Sometimes distraction as a temporary tool can be helpful in a flare up. Sometimes tweaking meds help; we all have different ways to deal with the pain.
I would say the first few of years with CPS has been the hardest. I have lost work, my mind at times and have grieved for the man I was before chronic pain became a part of my life. The forced changes have driven me to deppresion and anxiety about the future. But on the plus side I have emerged out of the darkness stronger and wiser.
We all need tools in our box to deal with the mental pressure. I have avoided medications to treat my moods and anxiety. Personally I do not find them useful in the long run. They only mask the problem which can be narrowed down to one simple cause – resentment.
For me I need to consciously deal with my mental state. My wellbeing rests on my ability to face stress and negative thinking without being affected. I have enough to deal with having chronic nerve pain, so how I mentally live beside the monster matters. To myself and my family.
Not everyone is open to meditation and real meditation can be difficult. It isn’t always easy to become still and observe thoughts. As we do we become acutely aware of just how negative our thinking can be. It’s usually at this point the practitioner bails on it. But for those who are willing to sit still through a little discomfort and stick at it; they discover the keys to the kingdom.
Meditation pulled me out of deppresion. As I separated from the negativity and fear I was harbouring I Began to see with clarity the real problem with CPS. The frustration and anger at my condition was dragging me into an emotional whirlpool of overthinking and overreacting to the pain, the stress of which was turning up the volume of my suffering.
The more negative I became the higher my pain levels went. The key to living with the monster was to stay mentally sharp. To become an observer rather than getting into futile struggles with my situation.
I can’t do much about my pain – but I can do something about my attitude towards it.
Non contemplative meditation is one way to overcome overthinking and negativity. By separating from thoughts and becoming an observer of what passes through the mind, we are less inclined to get dragged into that negativity. In a place of conscious awareness we have a protection against it. There is a real freedom that comes with this very special state of consciousness. It is a place where the pain turns down and we can find a new way to manage it.
If you are in a constant battle with your mind and your pain and need the roundabout to stop. Try this free meditation exersise. If you are willing to commit to it you will be in better position to mentally manage the monster, because between the monster and meditation – meditation wins, every time.
Triplet Dad 
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