A group to support people with persistent pain has started up in Powell River and its organizer says it will help give chronic pain sufferers the tools they need to improve their lives.
People in Pain is a network of support groups throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Started only a few years ago, the groups connect people living with pain, their families and friends to support, education and solutions. The network is designed to provide a safe environment for learning, peer support and to finding new ways to improve a person’s quality of life.
Persistent, or chronic, pain is defined as pain which continues on longer than three months and can lead to increased levels of depression, isolation and anger as well as reduced self-esteem—all of which worsen quality of life.
Powell River support group leader Stacy Cogswell has been living with chronic pain for the past 37 years. After seeing pain-management specialist Dr. David May it was suggested she contact Heather Devine who was developing a network of chronic pain support groups, to help her create one for Powell River.
“There’s so much we have learned individually over the years, things that can help us that we can share,” said Cogswell.
She added that over the past three to five years research on pain has begun to show how it works in the body and what people who suffer with persistent pain can do to live with it.
Not only does the group offer people the chance to talk to others who share similar circumstances it also gives them strategies on how to cope better and improve the quality of their lives.
The network’s website includes its Pain Toolkit self-management program which is designed to teach skills needed to adjust mind, body, spirit and environment in the course of building an individualized wellness plan. The website also includes other resources like webinars and the ability to share stories with others who cope with persistent pain.
The Powell River group met for the first time earlier this month and Devine, a retired nurse who also suffers from persistent pain, welcomed the participants.
The group meets from 2 to 4 pm on the first Wednesday of each month in the cafeteria meeting room at Powell River General Hospital (5000 Joyce Avenue). The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 1. Pharmacist Ann Nadanili will speak on pharmaceutical pain management.
“She’s going to talk about various medicines that can be used for pain, some of their drawbacks and what’s appropriate for various problems,” said Cogswell. The talk may help those who may be having some challenges with their prescriptions and are looking for more information, she added.
The network also offers support and education for chronic pain sufferers’ family and friends.
Cogswell said that living with someone who experiences chronic pain can sometimes be like living with another person in the house. In Powell River meetings every three months will be organized to provide support and help them understand how pain is a disease and the impact it has. The next meeting is planned from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 22 at Powell River General Hospital’s cafeteria meeting room. Meetings on January 21, April 22 and July 22 will follow.
For more information about the group, readers can visit the group’s website, contact Cogswell through email at [email protected] or call toll-free 1.844.747.7246.
