Over the last 2 days, with much of North America caught in the icy grip of a major winter storm, even Florida has felt the brunt of those cold northern winds. Our temperatures have dropped into the 40’s. True, that’s not much by Northern standards, but for those of us who live in the Sunshine State, it feels like a new Ice Age has descended. And my bones don’t like it one bit.

My whole body aches. My fingers have lost their dexterity and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep until it’s over. But that’s something I rarely let myself do. For years, that was my main pain strategy—take a pill and sleep as much as possible, hoping that when I woke it would all be better. But it didn’t get better. Not until I stopped running from pain and confronted it head on.

In order to move past chronic pain, I had to adopt a whole new attitude, one that wouldn’t hide under the covers at every twitch of a nerve. So yesterday, for instance, while cold was making my bones creak, I sat right here at the keyboard working. I wasn’t thinking very clearly and I certainly wasn’t typing very fast, but I was working.

Between bouts of work, I took breaks for hot showers and sit-downs in my massage chair. I listened to my hypnosis tapes. I did my EFT tapping. I did gentle exercise. And I kept my inner talk positive. “Pain can’t stop me,” I told myself. “ Today’s not the best day I’ve had, but it’s far from the worst!”

All that’s in far contrast to what I did and thought when pain was my daily companion. I used to drug myself, curl up in a ball and cry, “I can’t take it. I can’t stand this. I can’t do this.”

Everyone that suffers from chronic pain know this—chronic pain robs you of your self-esteem. You doubt your sanity. You doubt your decisions. You doubt your ability to cope.

 Pain and negative inner talk left me feeling both powerless and hopeless. That’s a lethal combination. To save myself from both, I used hypnosis tapes and CD’s to transform my thinking.. I learned to keep my inner talk positive. And I learned that my attitude was the most powerful pain management tool I have.

One of the programs I worked with that made a real difference in my life is “Core Inner Strength,” a 2-CD set by Dr. Shirley McNeal. At a time when I was feeling worthless, hopeless and weak. Dr. McNeal’s program turned my attitude around. It helped me find the self-confidence I needed to stop cowering from chronic pain. That’s why, yesterday, I didn’t cower in bed. I got up and took action, because I know, beyond any shadow of doubt, I have the inner-strength to do anything I set my mind to.

I regard “Core Inner Strength” as one of the key skills every pain patient needs to learn. You can read all about the "Core Inner Strength" program here: http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/self_esteem.php It comes with my highest recommendation!

### Bonnie Boots publishes Pain Health News to provide information and motivation to people living with chronic pain.  You can stay in touch with her by typing your email address into the subscribe box in the upper right corner of this page.