We have consolidated these concepts, our experience, clients’ input, and the fundamentals of the Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program into a workbook format that is accessible to anyone affected by chronic pain. The book is also designed to be a useful tool for clinicians who treat people with chronic pain. Our intention in writing this book is to offer an empowering, interactive guide that promotes the treatment of chronic pain in a holistic manner without mood-altering drugs.
Mel Pohl, MD, FASAM • Frank J. Szabo, Jr., LADCDaniel Shiode, Ph.D. • Robert Hunter, Ph.D.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Stuart Smith for having faith in us and providing an opportunity for us to utilize our experience, strength, and hope to help others discover pain recovery. Stuart’s vision, commitment, and dedication made this book possible.
To our supportive families and friends who make the work we do possible.
To the contributors who allowed us to share their stories of how to live with grace and courage as they walked on the path of pain recovery.
To the excellent editorial staff at Central Recovery Press: Nancy Schenck, Dan Mager, Daniel Kaelin, and Helen O’Reilly. And, especially to Valerie Killeen, for the expert job she did editing this book.
To the skilled and dedicated clinical team and support staff at Las Vegas Recovery Center.
To Sara Streifel, Think Creative Design, for designing this book. To David Fulk for proofreading.
We also would like to thank Denise Crosson and Sarah Batchelor for their contributions.
If you suffer from chronic pain and pain medications are not working for you, this book was created to help you. At a time when the medical field is moving further toward management of pain with prescription drugs and procedures, we have developed a tool for those with problematic use of medication or other substances.
Pain Recovery: How to Find Balance and Reduce Suffering from Chronic Pain offers a way to live comfortably, with some sense of ease, and free from habit-forming substances. You will learn how to develop healthy thinking about your pain, minimize suffering by addressing the emotional aspects of chronic pain, ease physical discomfort by applying adjunctive therapies and techniques, and restore well-being by developing your spirituality. In other words, you will learn how to find balance in your life, including your experience of pain.
Some of you may not identify with recovery because it’s a term that is traditionally associated with addiction. In this book we will define recovery as the process of moving from imbalance to balance. If you do not feel you are an addict, don’t let that interfere with the process. This method works just as well for those who are addicted to medication as for those who don’t identify as addicts but who are not getting positive results from their pain-management program.
Pain recovery will require that you try new techniques and be open to thinking differently about your pain. So in order to get the most benefit out of this book, we encourage you to let go of any preconceived notions, put your trust in the process, and proceed with an open mind.
The Four Points of Balance
Pain recovery is grounded in balancing the individual: 1) physically, 2) mentally, 3) emotionally, and 4) spiritually. The four points of balance provide a framework for you to use to identify the areas where imbalance has caused unmanageability in your life and with your family. These points are, of course, interconnected.
To find recovery, you must pay attention to every point of this model (see diagram) and the effect each has on the others. Additionally, your relationships and actions are a reflection of your internal state of balance. Chronic pain is a manifestation of imbalance, typically physical, but, as you will learn, also mental, emotional, and spiritual. Developing an awareness of the points and applying the necessary corrections to bring them back into balance is where the solutions to chronic pain and other life challenges lie. As a result of finding balance in pain recovery, your pain level will diminish.
Overview
Part One includes four chapters that explore chronic pain, addiction, and pain recovery to provide you with a foundation of knowledge and allow you to assess your particular situation. Chapter One explains the causes, characteristics, and effects of chronic pain. In Chapter Two we delve into the complex and sensitive subject of addiction. Chapter Three asks you to examine your use of pain medication and other substances and consider the possibility that you have addiction. Chapter Four explains pain recovery and the four points of balance in detail.
Part Two includes four chapters—one devoted to each of the points—that will help you discover the areas where imbalance is contributing to your negative experience of pain and teach you ways to rebalance them, thus decreasing pain and reducing suffering.
Part Three focuses on your recovery. Once you have identified where you are out of balance, you will be ready to take action and implement changes. Chapter Nine will address your relationships and emphasize the importance of giving and receiving support for recovery to be successful. Chapter Ten deals with actions and gives you an opportunity to create your own action plan for each of the four points to continually bring them back into balance. Lastly, a focused, long-term care plan is provided to help you proactively stay in the pain-recovery process.
To reinforce these concepts, throughout the book we have included the personal stories of individuals who have been and continue to be successful in pain recovery. They have shared, in their own words, their experiences with chronic pain, addiction, and recovery in an effort to help others who are struggling.
How to Use This Book
This book is designed for you to write in, highlight, take notes on, and refer back to. It may be helpful for you to share portions of your work with a counselor, therapist, family member, close friend, sponsor, and/or other professional health care provider. Although each chapter is written to stand on its own, we suggest you start at the beginning and do not skip any chapters. Pace yourself and take breaks when you need to. If you find yourself stuck or having difficulty with an exercise, do not stop working; rather, move on to the next exercise and come back later to the one you are having difficulty with. Don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way.
JOURNALING IN RECOVERY
Writing can be a powerful healing tool, especially when one first enters a process of recovery. We recommend that you keep a separate journal or notebook as you work through Pain Recovery. Taking some time each day to write about your journey can help you identify thought patterns, express feelings, maintain gratitude, and monitor progress. Documenting your experiences will allow you
