Learn to Live - Session 1

THE GOALS OF THIS SESSION

Goals for this Session:

• To learn about links between the brain, pain, and stress.
• To reduce the frequency and seriousness of pain flare-ups by learning to harness the power of the brain-and training the brain to pay attention in a different way to thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
• To learn specific skills to cope with pain and manage stress.
• To learn the best ways of getting social, emotional, and medical support.

Learn your goals for treatment: LEARNING TO LIVE WITH IT?

• It is normal to want to be "cured" of pain, but there are other important goals to consider.
• What you want to get out of this program will depend on what is important to you in your life now and for the future.
• What does the phrase "learning to live with it means to you.

Learn how the brain processes pain: THE GATE CONTROL MODEL OF PAIN

• A simple understanding of how pain works in the brain allows us to use the brain to our benefit when dealing with pain.
• Pain signals going to the brain go through a kind of gate in the spinal cord.
• The brain is not just a passive receiver of pain signals.
• Brain activity can determine how wide or how narrow that gate is and can let in more, or fewer, pain signals.
• Two important areas of the brain are involved in pain volume control: the "thoughts center" and the "emotions center."
• Your thoughts and feelings can either open the pain gate and let in more pain, or close the pain gate and let in less pain.
• The goal of the program is to teach you how to use the brain to work for you, rather than against you,
  in order to help you manage your pain.
• Learn to use the Brain and Pain worksheet to list things that could open the gate to more pain signals, or close the gate to
  fewer pain signals.

Consider your goals for living: YOUR GOALS FOR LIVING

• Learn to use the Goals for Living worksheet to do some more work on what's important to you.
• Choose a goal that is important to you