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ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for Chronic Pain
The Chronic Pain team at Kaiser offered me ACT group therapy, a type of cognitive behavior therapy, and it’s been very helpful. A psychologist did the 10- or 12-week program over Zoom with a small group of 6 of us with severe chronic pain. One dropped out.
The rest of us have gotten so much value out of it that 2 years later we are still meeting once a month with the psychologist and have another private monthly Zoom with just us.
One thing that was quite different was that we were encouraged to share contact info with each other. That has allowed us to support each other with phone calls and texts during particularly rough patches, which is great. We are very different people but have so much in common—isolation, dependency on family, having had to give up on most or all travel—lots to talk about there.
I think for many of us the support has been the main benefit. But for me the cognitive reframing was a huge help. Early on we shared all the things we had tried to “solve” our pain, and although some medicines, procedures, and home remedies like heat, cold, distraction, breathing practices, and meditation definitely help us cope, nothing made it go away.
I realized my whole life had become centered around trying to solve an insolvable problem! They don’t put you in this group if they think your pain is temporary. So facing that truth (Acceptance) is the logical move.
That is too much for most people, I guess. They refuse to give up hope of finding The Solution. In fact they were shocked and refused to believe that giving up hope could be good! But I decided I didn’t want to waste my remaining years on a wild goose chase. Giving up hope set me free.
In the therapy you go on to identify what’s important to you—family, travel, changing habits or attitudes, writing a will, other accomplishments or goals—and decide what’s realistic. Then you pick a goal and break it down into small measurable steps.
You also learn how to pace yourself. (One of the best tips for me was to do less on your good days and more on your bad days. I had been giving up on getting out of the recliner on days my pain was more severe. When I tried it I immediately realized how much better I felt if I got just 15 minutes done towards a goal. One phone call, or balancing an accounts, or organizing a closet (with the help of an able-bodied person) gave me a lift.
Gradually I became a little more productive, and happier. When I talked to friends, I had other things to talk about besides pain, my doctors, and meds.
If you can’t find a way to get ACT treatment there are books and workbooks about it that will help if you’re determined to give it a solid try, but it’s way easier with the support of a therapist and other people with serious chronic pain.
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What a fabulous program. It has been so helpful to have you share this. It makes complete sense to me.Thank you.
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4 ReactionsThank you for this! I’ve had severe osteoarthritis starting in my 40s and at 64 have 3 artificial joints and at least 5 more on deck. Right now they are all failing at once. Also diagnose with pseudogout, which causes acute flares and serious swelling. The pain is breathtaking. I need this therapy, as there is only so much I can do surgically.. and it is going to take years to replace the joints. I’ll start with a book, and ask around Montana to see if I can find support.
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6 Reactions@leslieherbert If you find anything in Montana, I would be sure interested in hearing where. Thanks in advance.
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1 ReactionI am so envious of your support group! I have tried for years to find a support group w/o success. Recently, I thought I would try again. I Googled support groups & it listed therapists from Psychology Today. The two therapists that I contacted were only interested in “growing “ their private practices, & not in a support group. I live in a large city in the West & can’t believe we don’t have anything available. I can’t do an online group as privacy is an issue.
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1 ReactionI wouldn't get anything from a support group. Talking does not lessen my pain. Talking does not make doctors care about suffering. These group sessions really just irritate me. a bunch of whiners getting together to whine some more
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1 Reaction@jmarie123
I wonder what kind of support you are seeking from this forum. Would you like to share more about yourself?
@jmarie123 You're right that talking doesn't lessen pain, but being with other people who really get it is a relief! Sometimes I do get tired of group members talking about their meds and tests and doctors, but the ACT framework paves the way to ask what else is going on in our lives. For instance the impact of our disabilities on our friends and families, and what we can do about it, is very interesting to me. We actually helped one member improve her marriage by helping her empathize with her husband's situation.
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4 ReactionsI am searching for anything that can address my pain & even documentation of any type of pain studies done by Mayo Clinic. I think my comment was probably an answer to a pop question asking if I wanted to join or asking why I didn't want to . while searching the site. In all of southeast texas including Houston, the specialists have stopped treating patients so they can monetize the suffering. The common line is that pain can not hurt you which is absurd. They only treat the "underlying condition" as if that was ever a thing for a specialist. They send all patients to drug test clinics where they are required to sign away their 4th amendment protections from unreasonable search & seizure. So that pain contract isn't just for drug testing, you sign away rights to your own body including genetic material. I am writing a complaint to the medical board for refusal of care from the last rheumatologist & am looking for official study type stuff, not opinions. The medical board will toss my complaint if I don't include actual medical information. Doctor's go to is that pain is a symptom so can not hurt beyond that. We all know reality that people die from torture. Lon term chronic pain left untreated becomes an autoimmune disease in itself where it starts reading pain as an intruder hurting you. The body sends out every weapon it has to search for this intruder. Even though microscopic, it is in thousands or hundreds of thousands released into your body where it destroys everything in it's path. You feel it all. Flowery version= inflammation.
@shoegal Not being able to do an online group would make it tough, because many of us with severe chronic pain don't drive or go out much except to doctor appointment--either because of the underlying condition, or mobility problems, or because meds make us too drowsy. Since you're concerned about privacy, is there any way you could use a username that doesn't reveal your identity? You can always get a second or third email address just for a group.
I'm no expert but I have the impression that there are support groups for different health conditions, both online and in-person. I found a bunch of resources including support groups for a friend with Parkinson's at one of the national Parkinson's organizations. If you've mainly looked at a support group for pain, maybe there is one for another condition you have. Good luck!
This is the most fabulous thing I've heard in ages! Thank you for posting. I have Chronic Pain from multiple injuries nine years ago and it sucks the life out of me, especially now that I've moved to a state that refuses to have outpatient or Home pain therapies or medication.
I absolutely love the process you explained, and it makes perfect sense. Giving up on hope is a great thing when something negative consumes your life and you spend time in hope for a solution that doesn't exist.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant thank you💗
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