Welcome to “What we CAN do”. This post is inspired by the “What you CAN do!” video posted below from The Pain Truth Program depicting what Stephen Hawking and W. Mitchell were able to do despite having a disability.
I will be posting fun and pleasurable activities we can do to keep our sanity and enjoy social distancing through this covid-19 pandemic. “Don’t allow our pain, disability, or situation to define us. We must focus on the activities that we are able to do.”- Bahram Jam
Art Therapy
Art Therapy can be a great tool to help with chronic pain. If you have pain that is lasting more than 3 months, then your nervous system may have become overly sensitive because it perceives it is still in danger even when there is no longer actual damage to your tissue. Pain is crucial for our survival because it is our body alarm system to danger and stress. However, our body cannot distinguish between physical and emotional stress. To effectively treat the pain, we must remove the feeling of danger or stress by focusing on enjoyable things in life. There are numerous scientific studies which conclude that art therapy can improve one’s quality of life by reducing pain, suffering, depression, and anxiety.
Incorporate art into your daily routine to build up your resilience to danger and stress or do it the next time you feel that the pain is coming on. Sometimes you may need to take your pain medication and that is ok as well.
OPTION A: Learn to draw (from a book, youtube, or phone application) and decorate your office or window.
OPTION B: Learn to paint virtually with “YAYMAKER” or from a Youtube channel, such as “WOW Art”.
“Don’t allow our pain, disability, or situation to define us. We must focus on the activities that we are able to do.”– Bahram Jam
