By Lisa Van Allen, Chair for RSDSA’s Advocacy Committee
I was recently listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Hidden Brain hosted by Shankar Vedantam, where the guest was talking about her research into how people respond to overwhelming challenges. In the episode, “When It’s All Too Much,” Sarah Jaquette Ray describes how she found her students were overwhelmed by the problems in today’s world to the point of nihilism, deep depression and in some cases suicide. It was not a leap to compare these students to people living with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, nicknamed “The Suicide Disease.”
Living with unrelenting pain can drive you to feel that life is meaningless. There are many losses on this journey of pain – mobility, career, relationships, and especially the image you had in your mind of what your life was going to be. Those losses chip away at your sense of self and the things that bring you joy. Surviving and thriving in the face of this darkness is not easy. It requires choosing hope and intentionally lining up activities that give you a sense of meaning and purpose.
Sarah Jaquette Ray spoke about several things that she believes can combat this nihilism. I believe these techniques will work to offset the deep suffering that comes with CRPS.
→ Being part of a community rather than trying to face overwhelm alone is essential. Isolation is a normal response to feelings of grief and depression, but it is not a solution. Sharing your fears and griefs with others lightens the load. But make sure this group focuses mainly on hope. If you’ve ever been in a Facebook group where everyone is describing how awful their symptoms are, you know just how contagious darkness and depression can be. That doesn’t mean you have to be a ‘Pollyanna’ and only express positive thoughts. Just be sure to surround yourself with people who know how to encourage and support you.
→ Focusing on beauty in spite of the ugliness in the world. We live in a world filled with extraordinary beauty, but we tend to spend more time on destructive, ugly things coming at us from our phones, TVs and other media. It is survival, not escapism, to turn off the news and turn on NatGeo or Discovery.
→ Learning to hold joy and suffering at the same time requires emotional maturity. All or nothing, black and white thinking limits your capacity to cultivate joy and purpose. Simply holding out your hands and imagining that you are simultaneously holding joy in one and suffering in the other opens a window of opportunity in your mind. Yes, I am in pain – And I am enjoying this moment because I am ___________. How would you fill in the blank? For me it might be holding my puppy, or painting a picture, or sitting on my deck with the sun on my face.
→ Finding small ways to reduce the pain. I can’t completely eliminate my pain, but I can find little things that make it better. Soaking in scented epsom salts and then spraying on a moisturizer makes my CRPS affected foot look and feel a little better. Mindfulness meditation is not a cure, but even five minutes of mindfulness and relaxed breathing reduces the stress that builds from constant pain. Getting a massage on non-affected areas helps reduce stress and tension as well.
→ Building up your spirituality and/or faith. Research has demonstrated over and over that meditation and prayer reduces pain and helps with healing. Belief in a Power greater than yourself and your problems can bring great comfort.
→ Spending time in purposeful activities helps you feel better about yourself and combat those feelings of worthlessness. Write a letter to your congressman about legislation that would make life better. Write an article for the RSDSA blog or your newspaper. Join a support group and share your story. Participate in the RSDSA Virtual Walk and raise funds that make a difference. There are all kinds of ways you can make life better for yourself and everyone living with CRPS.
Depression can be a serious disease. If you find yourself struggling with feelings of sadness, grief, loss, and or meaninglessness that last more than a few days and lead to pervasive thoughts of harming yourself, please get help. Contact your medical provider or a mental health professional. You might find that treatment of your depression might help with your pain, as medications used for depression and anxiety have been proven to help with pain management. Instead of allowing darkness to overwhelm, choose to create a life of meaning and joy.
If you’re ever in need of help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. You can also send a text to the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOPELINE to 741741