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The Upside of Chronic Pain and Illness

What has your pain done for you lately?

By Julie L HodgesPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I have chronic pain and Illness. Every day I suffer without end. I'm grateful to modern medicine it isn't as bad as it could be. I'm okay.

There are so many downsides to having chronic pain and illness, the suffering, the way some people look at you, the loss of income and dreams, the way people talk down to you, to name a few. But there can be some pretty big upsides! Here are some that I've identified for myself. My hope is that you can see yourself in my experience and find some of your own upsides that are unique to your experience.

I've Achieved Some of My Bigger Dreams

Dream 1: I'd been a student of yoga and meditation since 1976. When I graduated from high school and looked to where I could go to school, yoga teacher training popped up, but nowhere near where I lived. I loved yoga and wanted to teach.

After I got Fibromyalgia, my yoga practice was different, but as I got better with the help of acupuncture, herbs, and medication, it grew back. Because I couldn't work a regular job, I was able to attend a yoga teacher training program near my home. I've been a yoga teacher and studio owner since 2005.

Dream 2: I'd been writing since I was about seven years old. At first, it was just in my diary, then it was my diary/journal and stories. I wanted to be a novelist and short story writer.

I took a short story class in college, but I really needed a job and I couldn't go to school to be a writer. The belief that most writers and other artists are perpetually starving was in the cultural DNA, and mine, at the time. I continued to write in my journal and the occasional story. I even wrote a novel, though it was so bad I had to scrap most of it. After college, I worked at a job I didn't like. It was back to school for me. I chose to earn an Associates' degree in paralegal studies so I could do research and write. I did that and didn't like that, either. It was very stressful and not what I expected.

So here I am, writing a blog post. I've written many short stories and two novels, one of which is being rewritten to be published as the first in a paranormal mystery series. If I were working a "regular job" I wouldn't have the time to write as much as I do. And I'm being paid for some of my writing!

I'm A Better Person And Yoga Teacher

I have always been compassionate and empathetic. I knew that people struggled and suffered pain of all types, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical pain. But once I was truly suffering every moment of my life, I knew what suffering and struggle really were.

The world expects certain things from each of us. As we are socialized, we learn what we are expected to do and be. I was socialized to go to college and get a good job, marry the right person, and be a good American citizen. To my mind, the only concrete way to be a good citizen of any country is to be kind and helpful where we can.

Having chronic pain and illness has made me a much more compassionate and empathetic person. When I see a yoga student in pain or uncomfortable in a pose, I know it immediately. They get the same look on their face and exude the same energy I recognize in myself. I can immediately go to them and adjust their position to one of comfort. Because of the pain I've had, I have learned to modify almost every pose in many different ways. I can help people be comfortable in the same way I am. I'm grateful I can help people in that way.

I Stop To Smell The Roses

I used to be so Type A, driven, and ambitious, my head was forever down with my nose to the grindstone. I'm convinced the stress of my former life is why I got Fibromyalgia in the first place. Not only do I now stop to smell the roses, but I also live a slower, simpler life with enjoyment packed into every day.

I See And Feel My Freedom

My highest value is freedom. It has always been. Before getting ill, my path to freedom was money. I wanted to retire early with lots of money to travel, to go out onto the open road, and forget everything I was "supposed" to do.

My definition of freedom is different now. It's more of a feeling. I have a tattoo and I wear a bunch of colors in my hair, greens and blues. That's my freedom of expression showing. I also have more hobbies and I have more fun in my daily life. I can go wherever I want to when I want to go. I have enormous freedom! That's a blessing to me. I am still working out the monetary freedom I need to live the highest expression of health and life I can live.

Do any of these spark your sense of an upside? I find recognizing the upsides of chronic pain and illness make me a happier person. I have a brighter sense of what my future may be. What are your upsides to your pain and chronic illness? How does it make you feel?

Did this post speak to you? If yes, please consider leaving me a tip. My gratitude for your help and your readership is immense. Thank you.

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About the Creator

Julie L Hodges

Julie, aka The Pain Guru, lives with chronic pain in Nevada, teaches yoga/meditation, reads and writes every day. She loves her life with a husband and dogs, a paranormal team, going places in their RV, and having lots of outdoor fun.

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