Work Issues and Pain. “How does pain affect your work life? Are you able to work? Has pain forced you to give up work?”
I was invited to address a topic related to these questions, along with several other people who blog about pain, by the blog, How To Cope With Pain. You can see all the other posts, HowToCopeWithPain.org/blog.
I’ve lived with chronic pain, off and on, for 30 years. Multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis (and now an ileostomy), sjogren’s, and reynaud’s syndrome –— none of these are thought of as chronic pain conditions in themselves. But, boy, each one is capable of creating deep and chronic pain.Each time I experienced severe pain (from the ice picks in my eyes caused by sjogren’s to the wrenching cramps of MS), I’ve thought, “This pain is as bad I’ve ever had.” Pain can ruin your judgment and your mood. It can also take over your being. (Actually there is one technique, Focusing, that I’ve found can sometimes be useful for pain).One question I frequently here is: “Should I stop working because the pain is so bad?” My answer is: No!
When you’re living with pain, it’s easy to think that working makes it harder to handle the pain or even makes the condition worse. But here are 2 reasons that isn’t necessarily the case:1. Becoming engaged in something outside of your body distracts you from the pain and can make it more bearable.2. Creating a feeling of involvement and success reminds you that you are more than this sick body in pain.
I’m not saying that this is easy to do. It takes extraordinary effort. But not working seems to have too much of an adverse affect. There’s no reason to get up and out each day, you lose the interpersonal engagement of the workplace, you lose your sense of value and it’s usually a financial hardship.
I don’t mean to imply it’s easy to keep working when you live in chronic pain. It’s just that from what I’ve seen in my own life and those I work with, not working does not make your life easier. (You can read more of my ideas in the archives of newsletters on my website and here is an eNewsletter article that describes how one man deals with thoracic outlet syndrome).
The challenge worth taking is to figure out what work you can do and how you can do it.
Rosalind
How to Cope with Pain says
If at all possible, I do think working is best. You’re right – it’s finding what you can do. Thanks for contributing to the carnival!
Rosalind says
My pleasure. All the posts are interesting to read. And, of course, in the final analysis, it’s all about, “if at all possible for you.”
emily says
great food for thought, and i’m inspired that you work through such pain. 🙂
thanks so much for stopping by my blog, i’m interested in coming back here regularly. i guess that’s what blog carnivals are all about, reading other ideas and viewpoints, but also finding new blogs to read.
jeisea says
Rosalind what an inspiration . Your statement “Creating a feeling of involvement and success reminds you that you are more than this sick body in pain” is profound. I think that if you have needed to stop work then then finding something fulfilling to do as an alternative might still give you this sense of fulfillment. Wonderful post. You are right HTCwP with these carnivals is introducing us to great sites we might not otherwise see.
jeisea
http://www.crps-rsd-a-better-life.blogspot.com
Nancy Wechsler says
I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for most of my life. But what is ironic is that it had to get really bad, like it has the last three years, and be caused by a really rare condition (and I’m not even sure i agree with the doctor on this), for me to acknowledge that I live in a state of chronic pain. It was easier 14 years ago when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease to say that I live with an invisible disability that makes me very fatigued, but I am newer to the self-recognition of how much pain has played a role in my life. Back pain, migraines, (both of those are better now amazingly enough) but now I have this pain in my mouth that the doctor’s call “burning mouth syndrome” caused by what the doctor’s call “Oral Lichen Planus.” And don’t get me wrong, I have a really good doctor, with whom I have a GOOD relationship. I’m just not sure we know all there is to know about this mouth pain. But then again, when you call something “Burning Mouth Syndrome” (even if that isn’t what I have) just the name tells you they really don’t know what it is. Calling it a syndrome gives it away.
Every week, almost, I think about whether or not it would be better to keep on working, or to make an effort (and I understand it is an effort) to get disability. But I don’t know if disability would give me enough money to survive on, and I agree with all the reasons people give for keep on working, if you can. But obviously some people can’t, and I wonder if I will actually know in time when it is time to call it quits. What I actually feel is that I should have gotten disability years and years ago– and then done what a lot of people do (and what I’ve been doing for years because of my disabilities), work part time. Because I’ve known for a long time I can’t work full time, so I’ve worked either three or four day a week jobs.
I hope I don’t miss next years Labor Day blog about pain, coping with pain, living with pain, working with pain.
Rosalind says
Nancy – What clarity you bring to this. It goes without saying (but I”ll say it anyway) that each of us has to figure this out on our own. I’ve heard so many different responses to this situation (from my clients) and I know how each has struggled with it. How can I keep working? Why? Reading this, it sounds as if financial reasons are the thing keeping you working. I wonder if there’s any other way to look at this so that working could be a more “positive” function – that even in the struggle, it keeps you distracted from and more than the pain? Unless, of course, work makes the pain worse. The bottom line is that living this way can make life very difficult and we each have to find our peace with it. I’m glad you found the carnival useful.
Nancy Wechsler says
Rosalind,
I have found some of the positives about working, sorry that wasn’t clear. That’s what I meant when I wrote “I agree with all the reasons people give for keep on working, if you can.” Seeing people, the routine, something that gets you up and out of bed, and for me out of the house (but not too far!)… and even though I am doing bookkeeping, it is for the American Friends Service Committee, a good non-profit organization that I call the political wing of the Quakers, and which works for economic and social justice along with peace. They are good people and so the energy I have for working– goes towards or for a good group. And while it is hard right now, I still feel it would be harder to stop working. Even when I was briefly unemployed I went back and volunteered at one of my previous jobs at another non-profit. So that tells you something. The questions remains, how will I know when I really should stop? I guess I’m assuming that somehow I will know. Or someone will tell me. All my best. You both are doing a good job with your blog.
Stephanie says
What a great blog. I am finding now that I am working fulltime again that I don’t wake up every morning saying “I have lupus.” Working helps me to take my mind off the challenges and helps me to accomplish things and feel like I can contribute to my family and the workforce.
And by the way, I loved your phrase that working with chronic illness beats not working with chronic illness. It is the same philosophy for birthdays, people say that they hate their birthdays. I have to say, I am not trying to stop the birthdays from coming — there is too much living to do!
Rosalind says
YES! I can’t agree more. On my very worst days, with ms or ulcerative colitis, I can’t say I felt better getting into a work project but I certainly didn’t think about it as much. How can that not be good?