If you suffer from chronic pain, whatever kind it may be, try the sudist approach. This approach is designed to reduce and even completely eliminate these kinds of unwanted, debilitating forms of suffering. It does not matter whether your chronic pain is physical, such as migraines, joint pain, or back pain. Or whether it is emotional, including chronic depression, irritability, or anxiety. This approach applies to the entire spectrum of unhealthy pain and suffering. Furthermore, it costs nothing and requires no prescriptions or medical interventions.
Here are the three steps to freedom from chronic pain, the sudist way.
The first step to freeing yourself from chronic pain, as counterintuitive as it may seem, is to accept that pain is integral to life. It cannot be continually erased and avoided—doing so merely perpetuates your chronic pain. Being free from all pain is simply not possible. But being free from chronic pain certainly is. And so, learning to embrace suffering is absolutely critical.
The second step is to let go of the idea that we can obtain pleasure without any attached consequences. There is a good reason why those who get euphoric from drugs later experience a painful withdrawal or crash. The reason is that, whether the pleasure comes from indulgent foods, drugs, or entertainment, pleasure is intimately interconnected with pain. For every ounce of pleasure we consume, we must pay with an ounce of pain later on or with the loss of a future ounce of pleasure. Letting go of the idea of free pleasure will help us during the next step.
The third step builds on the first two and is where the real transformation will occur. This step consists of carrying out affective realignment in our lives, which essentially means to dial down unnecessary pleasure and dial up healthy pain in our day-to-day lives. There are many ways you can do this. For example, you can:
- Gradually reduce your use of medicines to numb your physical or emotional pain, including painkillers and mood stabilizers. It is of utmost importance that any alteration of prescribed treatments be done under the supervision of a qualified doctor. Having friends and family to support you during this transition will also be of great help.
- Gradually reduce your use of recreational drugs, including marijuana, alcohol, and nicotine (including cigarettes and vapes).
- Gradually increase the amount of natural physical activity you do each day. Walking, jogging, dancing, biking, sports and swimming all fit the bill. Whatever gets you moving will work. The goal is to experience some natural, healthy pain while giving our body a healthy workout.
- Reduce your consumption of sweetened or savourized foods and beverages. Instead, eat whole unprocessed foods with no savourizers or sweeteners added.
- Reduce your consumption of over-stimulating videos, video games, music, and other media. Instead, spend more time experiencing stimulation at a natural, healthy rate. This can include spending quality time with friends and family, working on hobbies and projects, going out in nature, or sitting in quiet contemplation.
- There are many other approaches listed in the free book The Sudist Way. You can get a free copy here.
If you follow the steps above and persist with the lifestyle changes you make, you should see a reduction in your chronic pain within a few days to a few weeks, depending on the severity of your case and to what degree you apply the steps. This transition period will be challenging, but with the support of friends and family, you can make it through to the other side. Do not give up!
You too can be free of chronic pain, whatever kind it may be. Good luck and best of health to you!