The Nature of Balance in Chronic Pain Recovery

Balance is not static but fluid, in a constant state of flux, much like the ebb and flow of the waves of the ocean. As the circumstances of your life change, so will your state of balance. Balance, then, is the journey, not the destination, and you are the navigator. No one else steers your ship, but people, circumstances, and events can create obstacles along the way. Like the wind, either it can blow you off course or you can harness it to move yourself in the right direction. Chronic pain is just another obstacle that can be navigated past successfully with pain recovery. Rather than viewing this as a struggle, see it as a challenge and try to find enjoyment in the journey. All that is required is that you make progress toward balance each day; there is no point of completion. Striving for perfect balance, while an admirable goal, is not a realistic one. The seas may be calm for a while, but that rarely lasts. Human beings are fallible by nature, and trying to achieve perfection would actually cause imbalance. As you become aware of circumstances in your life that are not in balance, resist the urge to correct by oversteering. There is no quick fix, and changes are most effective when made incrementally, with all four points being considered. Imbalance often results from being unduly harsh, so resist the urge to become discouraged, or to punish, blame, or feel shame. These four points represent the whole of you and should not be viewed as disconnected or dealt with individually without regard for the complete picture. When all four points are working in conjunction with each other, they produce a synergistic effect that is greater than each point individually. It is vital to be aware that situations you perceive as negative and challenging, such as death of a loved one, divorce, addiction, chronic pain, getting fired, or abuse can result in imbalance. Imbalance also can stem from situations you perceive as positive, such as job promotion, marriage, buying a house, or the birth of a child. Even a positive change in one point has the potential to disrupt your equilibrium. For example, if you put most of your effort into taking care of yourself physically, but don’t pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and spirit, you will be unbalanced. You might see your efforts as futile or believe they didn’t work, but this is not what it means. It simply means you need to be aware that putting too much effort into one point and neglecting the others will result in overall imbalance. The points are not a miracle cure for what ails you. Working toward balance requires diligence and persistent effort, and balancing the points can lead you to solutions for whatever you are experiencing and help you live a more meaningful and purposeful life. This blog post is an excerpt from Pain Recovery – How to Find Balance and Reduce Suffering from Chronic Pain by Mel Pohl, MD, FASAM, Frank Szabo, LADC, Daniel Shiode, PhD, Robert Hunter, PhD; Published by Central Recovery Press (CRP). photo credit: wili_hybrid via photopin cc