It is important to know about the connection between stress levels and pain symptoms, as well as understanding that stress management can also decrease suffering.  Physically, chronic pain raises stress levels and drains physical energy, while psychologically it affects the ability to think clearly, logically and rationally, as well as to effectively manage feelings or emotions.  Remember that in most cases if people can learn to lower their stress levels, they will also experience a decrease in their perception of pain.

It is crucial to learn how to self-assess levels of stress and then learn how to develop some simple but effective stress management tools.  I like to use a stress thermometer concept.  This concept proposes that there are ten levels of stress and when people get to the seven to ten moderate to higher levels of stress their thinking and behavior are impacted.  The goal is to keep stress at levels four to six and for relaxation to get down to the one to three levels.

Managing Stress Helps Manage Pain

Another step in stress management is to learn how to identify and challenge irrational thinking that leads to uncomfortable emotions. For example if people are under high stress the thought might be “I can’t stand this… I need to escape.” This in turn could lead to, fear, anger, anxiety, or even cravings to use self-defeating behaviors or even inappropriate pain medication for stress relief.

The next step is to be aware of and learn how to manage those uncomfortable feelings before they lead to self-defeating urges. Developing healthy feeling management skills is very important. Learning to share with trustworthy people is one way to deal with uncomfortable emotions. If the feelings are too intense or overwhelming, counseling or therapy may be necessary.

If those negative self-defeating urges do surface, it is important for people to learn how to make healthier decisions before indulging in self-destructive behaviors. There is a decision point between the urge and the behavior that is almost non-existent when people are under high stress. If people keep reacting to their impulses instead of thinking and responding they very well could indulge is self-defeating behaviors. That is why learning impulse control and delayed gratification is so important.

When people are more aware of their stress levels, they can then take action to reduce their stress, which in turn leads to a decrease in their pain symptoms.  A very effective stress management strategy is exercise.  In addition to lowering the stress levels regular exercise can also be an important part component of an effective pain management program.  It is also important to reduce, or even eliminate, nicotine, caffeine, and sugar, and have a healthy eating plan. 

Other stress management tools could include breathing and relaxation exercises, meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, listening to soothing music, being in nature, soaking in a hot bath (or Jacuzzi), etc.  Sometimes a good stress management plan includes appropriate activity pacing and taking time for leisure and recreational activities. An additional intervention is massage therapy, which also helps you with pain management goals. People living with chronic pain and coexisting addiction need all the help they can get.  Stress management is one of the most important pain management tools someone with chronic pain can learn. 

To learn more about coping with stress for more effective chronic pain management that includes an example and explanation of a stress thermometer please check out my article Effective Stress Techniques for Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Article page.

If you’d like to receive training for helping people with relapse prevention, I’m very excited to announce that the Gorski-CENAPS Corporation is presenting The Relapse Prevention Therapy44 Hour Certification Training in Ft. Lauderdale October 18-22, 2010. To learn more about this 5 day 44 hour training you can check out our Calendar page.

You can learn about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people undergoing chronic pain management and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders; including depression, addiction and other coexisting psychological disorders effectively; please consider my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

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