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Brain vs. Body
The true struggle of living with chronic pain
There is an ugly truth about living with chronic pain that no one seems to discuss. I like to call it the brain vs. body effect. Simply put, the brain and the body are fighting a constant war against each other, with me stuck smack dab in the middle of it all.
My brain is eager to jump into physical activities (hiking, exercise, working, etc.) while my body stands idly by, waiting for the perfect time to announce, “I don’t think so!” This is a lesson I’ve been trying to learn for years — finding the balance between what my brain wants vs. what my body can handle. I think I’ve finally got a handle on it every time I encounter this battle, but I am wrong every single time.
Over the years, I have had to find ways to physically adapt to continue to function — living my daily life while simultaneously suffering from chronic back pain due to scoliosis. I’ve struggled for years to accept that this is something I will live with for the rest of my life. Even though logically I knew this already, some part of me held onto the hope that someday this would all just go away. It has caused me a lot of unnecessary anxiety, depression, and misery.
While I have come a long way on my acceptance journey, I am still striving to find a balance. For example, I felt physically okay this…
