So what have I learned about pain?

It was a tough 10 days before it settled.

My tooth / jaw pain is much better, not 100% resolved, still I get episodes, sadly triggered by my daily Japanese green tea, my favourite drink!

But I have learned a lot I think. It has been a way of getting to know my  mood cycles that I live with due to my long term chronic PTSD. This time, I was working with actual physical pain rather than emotional pain but I noticed a familiar pattern occurring.

The swings, the moving in and out of emotional states.

So it has given me a way of knowing myself better, and I am sure that other people with chronic PTSD would recognise some of those swings too.

The good news was that my usual solutions helped the moods settle.

The broken “child” unable to deal with the fear of another horrendous bout of pain, alone with no “adult” to take care. The broken child can turn to music, artwork, blogging.

This is quickly taken over by an intense angry self. Will take on anyone and anything. Angry, hostile and paranoid to the rest of the world. It really helps to punch negative energies out in boxing.

When the anger settles, I remain hyper vigilant and on the lookout for any further difficulties. Tense at all times. This is always helped by yoga, meditation, breathing.