What does this mean. Chronic pain is a condition, suffering is an option. This may sound very simplistic and judgemental at first. But in my years of practice in chronic pain, I have many things that makes me believe in this, or at least accept that there is some elements of truth in this idea. Chronic pain is a medical condition that sets in for many reasons. But once people are affected by this condition, you can see a huge difference in their level of suffering. Some patients suffer so bad that their life become a real burden to them. Others with similar conditions can run a productive life and be as happy as they can under the circumstances of chronic pain. But why? How can this be possible that the same condition can destroy one patients life but the other patient can manage it quite well. Some think the difference is in their threshold for pain. Meaning that some people feel more pain with a painful event than others. But suffering is far deeper than than. My experience shows the difference is in the mind set of different patients. The way our outlook to the world is, would define the world to us. some of us can keep a positive process of thinking while in pain and some can’t. We now know about the plasticity or ability to change and adapt in our brain. It appears that the positive thinkers by repeating this process of positive thinking, can enforce it and as a result would suffer less than other with the negative outlook of mind. So negative thinking carves in more negativity in brain, including suffering and positive thinking carves in more ability to manage suffering. It sounds simple but it is hard to do. Only with staying on the course of positive thinking with relaxation and meditation exercises on a regular basis, one can master the ability to manage the suffering and as such, you can call it a decision.
Stay the course and think positive to suffer less.
