explain
pain
section
5
page
104
What’s your style?
Coping with threats and pain
E
veryday we all facemany things we need to cope with.
Coping is the ability to identify, manage and overcome the
issues that stress us. There aremany different ways to cope
and coping skills vary between people. One thing is for
sure, we can all improve our coping skills. And the good
news? Good coping can be learnt. First, let’s cover some
background again.
Remind yourself that the brain and body can use the same
systems to protect us from physical threats and non-
physical threats. In fact, ALL threats require physical and
psychological coping strategies.
Some coping skills that have been shown to be effective
when it comes to pain include problem solving, seeking
knowledge and understanding, and then changing thoughts,
behaviours and beliefs. Coping with your painmeans you
have the power to change it. Coping aims to reduce the
threat value of different cues, whichwill change the feelings
and thoughts that those cues trigger, and the associated
biological effects too.
161,163
Most coping strategies can be categorised as active or
passive. There is a large amount of research that shows that
active strategies aremore effective than passive strategies
when it comes to pain, and to a variety of health issues.
Now is a good time to ask yourself ‘What’s your style?’
What do you do to cope with your pain?
Active coping strategy examples
•
Seeking better understanding about the problem (and
articulating your understandingwith courage andhonesty)
•
Exploring different ways tomove and do things
•
Nudging the edges of pain – not avoiding it altogether
and not trying to ‘break through it’
•
Staying positive
•
Making plans, setting small, attainable goals andmoving,
gradually, towards them
•
Setting longer term and bigger goals and being patient!
Passive coping strategy examples
•
Avoiding activity and anything that might be painful
•
Doing nothing
•
Resting
•
Waiting for something to change
•
Waiting for the right person to change it (the right
person is you).
So I should just
talk about it?
‘
’
No, evidence shows that just talking about it, for example in
support groups andonline chat groups, doesnot help. Youneed
to talk to peoplewho really understand the biology of pain.
