When pain's been hanging around for a long time it does always, almost always, affect how a young person feels about themselves, even who they are and also the decisions that you make.
It can change the things that you feel you are able to do and um… you can end up avoiding things which, because of the fear that will make your pain worse.
Things that you might not able to do all of at once but you could do little bits of activities that make, you know, your life meaningful really.
I was very anti-social, I would stay in my room Um… Just on the computer… um… Watching movies just by myself when like the rest of the family, you know, were out eating dinner, you know, watching their own movie.
Um… I didn't talk to my friends um… I, when if mum and dad asked me to, if wanted I to go to out I would always say no, I didn't want to do anything, um… I didn't want to go anywhere… umm… but it's definitely helped now that I've gone, that I, you know, started talking to my friends, started to get out, started, um… doing more things and it's much easier now.
So in this episode we'll be looking at some strategies that can help you to just learn some ways to challenge your thoughts and um, to explore ways to change the decisions that you make, so that you are able to do more of the things that you want to do, even in the presence of your pain.
I learnt, um… you know, how to um… do mindfulness um… distractions, um… deep breathing, thinking positively, take your mind of things, so things that you really like and that you will be able to like manage it , heaps, like a lot better.
