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Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group
Neuropathy | Last Active: Jan 8 7:56am | Replies (6210)Comment receiving replies
I do MFR and reiki it helps me with the depression. Luckily MFR was covered by insurance the Reiki is not so can get expensive. I want to start meditation but I’m so uptight trying to conquer this pain , I know that sounds funny but would have a hard time sitting still right now on my own . I am grateful for this group I had no idea so many people having these issue ‘s . Sometimes I just read the conversations and dont’t add In but at night when I’m in pain It helps to read them and it comforts me .
Replies to "I do MFR and reiki it helps me with the depression. Luckily MFR was covered by..."
@dancermurphy Good evening.....You have chosen some good practices for helping you to get control of the pain, especially with MFR. Depression is hard to battle without some help. Do you also have what you would call "anxiety"? You mention that you do not want to start meditation because you cannot sit still. Have you ever done walking meditation, perhaps through a park or public garden? This type of meditation was developed by Thich Nhat Hanh? He is a Vietnamese monk who brought meditation and mindfulness to so many people in France and in the US. When we do walking meditation, we stroll through a garden. When a flower or bird or plant comes into view, we can stop and focus all of our attention on that object. When our mind begins to wander, then we walk a bit until another element catches our eye and try again. Even if you just walk and count to 4 on the in breath and again to 4 on the out breath you will be meditating and able to have some freedom from the depressive thoughts.
Sometimes, if my hands, wrists, and arms are in pain, I lie on the floor and melt into the carpet. Then I just focus on the breath...or you can watch the fan go round and round. The whole purpose is to give your mind a break from the "heavy lifting" it is doing to deal with depression, pain and/or anxiety. I can always tell on a day when an appointment or other activity forces me to omit my meditation. I become a bit frenetic and my pain increases.
There are a number of meditation programs online. Although I have written my own guided meditation, I also use Calm. There are retreats and workshops that suggest you lie or stand as necessary. When you are comfortable with the technique, you may want to join a sangha or meditation group. We meet every Thursday evening for 90 minutes....starting and ending with a timed meditation. In between, we discuss reflections on a book we are reading together. Our sangha of 8 ladies has been meeting every Thursday for 4 years. To put it mildly, we have each other's backs. The bond is astounding. Wishing you much success as you achieve a pain-free day. Please let us know about your journey. We can all learn from each other. Chris
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@dancermurphy Pain Management at Mayo suggested abdominal breathing, 10 minutes, 3 times a day. A good start until you can sit for meditation.