empathy - Back in Control https://backincontrol.com/tag/empathy/ The DOC (Direct your Own Care) Project Sat, 21 May 2022 18:16:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Compassion https://backincontrol.com/compassion/ Mon, 26 Dec 2016 18:14:59 +0000 https://backincontrol.com/?p=10233

Compassion: Empathy in the Face of Chronic Pain Empathy is an inherent part of the human experience.     Being labeled as a “chronic pain patient” is one of the worst aspects of an already terrible problem. It’s impossible to be truly seen or heard if you are viewed in … Read More

The post Compassion first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Compassion appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
  2. Structural Sciatica Resolved Without Surgery
  3. Awareness, Hope, Forgiveness and Play
]]> Compassion: Empathy in the Face of Chronic Pain

Empathy is an inherent part of the human experience.

 

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Being labeled as a “chronic pain patient” is one of the worst aspects of an already terrible problem. It’s impossible to be truly seen or heard if you are viewed in only one dimension. There can’t be empathy in the presence of being labeled. It’s similar to experiencing the “locked-in syndrome” that some head trauma patients experience. They have full understanding of their surroundings but have no ability to communicate back.

Most physicians are empathetic by nature and are drawn to medicine because they want to “make a difference.” But the rigors of training and practice often cause them to disconnect from their compassionate selves. Many medical professionals have succeeded by pushing themselves to the limit by being self-critical. It is not possible to be compassionate to others if you are not accepting of yourself. Perfectionism: the ultimate victim role

If you suffer from chronic pain you are probably frustrated having the label of “chronic pain patient” placed on you. There are also other unpleasant labels and they aren’t fair. The goal of treatment now becomes to “live with the pain” instead of curing your pain. You might as well be in hospice care–except there is no end in sight.

The burnout rate of physicians is consistently around 45-60% and is still rising. It’s impossible to reach out to others when you are trying to survive. The combination of professional burnout and being labeled creates a situation where the decision-making process regarding your care may be distorted.

“A Course on Compassion” was held in 2011 and was attended by medical and non-medical professionals as well as many patients. The intent of the course was to increase an awareness of the importance of compassion in your care as well as to provide some tools to deal with the interferences to connecting with one’s own empathy.

Dr. Howard Schubiner was one of the keynote speakers and  outlined the Neurophysiologic Disorder (NPD), which he calls Mind Body Syndrome (MBS). It is an important diagnosis for you to consider as there is a high probability that at some of your symptoms are arising from this disorder.

Compassion requires awareness but cannot exist in the same room as anger. Anger must be effectively processed and compassion nurtured.

The post Compassion first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Compassion appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
  2. Structural Sciatica Resolved Without Surgery
  3. Awareness, Hope, Forgiveness and Play
]]> The “Five E’s” of Chronic Pain https://backincontrol.com/the-five-es-of-chronic-pain/ Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:30:13 +0000 http://www.drdavidhanscom.com/?p=2448 A few weeks ago, I sent the roundtable a short article I put together called “Ability and Motivation.”  These are the two key ingredients necessary to create true change. My point was that the current state of the worker’s comp system destroys both of these attributes.  The only logical choice … Read More

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The post The “Five E’s” of Chronic Pain appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. Examiners from the Worker’s Perspective
  2. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
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]]> A few weeks ago, I sent the roundtable a short article I put together called “Ability and Motivation.”  These are the two key ingredients necessary to create true change. My point was that the current state of the worker’s comp system destroys both of these attributes.  The only logical choice in light of the complexity of any worker’s comp system is to arm the worker with these tools.

There was a discussion last year that led to a document called “The Five E’s of Chronic Pain.”   They are:

  • Empathy
  • Evaluation
  • Education
  • Encouragement
  • Engagement

All of these are geared towards enabling and motivating the patient to take charge of his or own care.

One E that I want to emphasize in particular is education   it’s critical for several reasons.  If a given patient is willing to immerse him or herself in learning about all of the variables that affect his or her pain, the chances of them eventually improving is extremely high.

Conversely, if they are not willing to read, listen, and learn, then they cannot and will not get better.  They must be willing to take on that responsibility.  Otherwise they are choosing to remain in a victim role and will remain angry.  It is also difficult to work with them, which also makes progress unlikely.  I think it is important for those working in chronic pain to set personal boundaries while still “keeping the door open.”  If you are attached to getting that resistant patient better in spite of their wishes, you might get yourself into a very unhappy, energy-draining situation.  You need to let them go.

I just put on a mini-seminar called “Enjoying the Management of Your Chronic Pain Patients.”  Once a given patient decides to fully engage, it is like opening the door of a caged wild animal.  You cannot stop them from regaining their life.  It does not matter how long they have been in pain. Working with these patients has become the most rewarding and enjoyable part of my practice.

NH, BF

The post The “Five E’s” of Chronic Pain first appeared on Back in Control.

The post The “Five E’s” of Chronic Pain appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. Examiners from the Worker’s Perspective
  2. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
  3. Degenerative Disc Disease Isn’t a Disease
]]> Video: Your Brain Becomes Sensitized https://backincontrol.com/video-12-19-introduction-to-the-5-es-of-chronic-pain/ Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:08:46 +0000 http://www.drdavidhanscom.com/2011/07/video-12-19-introduction-to-the-5-es-of-chronic-pain/

I discuss how the brain becomes more sensitive to pain with repetition. I also introduce the first 3 “E’s” of the 5 “E’s” of chronic pain as well as the evolution of pain. The 5 “E’s” are Empathy, Evaluation, Education, Encouragement and Engagement. For more on this, check out Sensitization … Read More

The post Video: Your Brain Becomes Sensitized first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Video: Your Brain Becomes Sensitized appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
  2. Degenerative Disc Disease Isn’t a Disease
  3. Video: Is Your Pain Structural or Not?
]]>

I discuss how the brain becomes more sensitive to pain with repetition. I also introduce the first 3 “E’s” of the 5 “E’s” of chronic pain as well as the evolution of pain. The 5 “E’s” are Empathy, Evaluation, Education, Encouragement and Engagement. For more on this, check out Sensitization of the Nervous System.

 

BF

The post Video: Your Brain Becomes Sensitized first appeared on Back in Control.

The post Video: Your Brain Becomes Sensitized appeared first on Back in Control.

Related posts:

  1. The Evolution of Chronic Pain
  2. Degenerative Disc Disease Isn’t a Disease
  3. Video: Is Your Pain Structural or Not?
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