How to Support Your Loved One Living with Chronic Pain, A Workbook

Yes, the person giving you this guide cares deeply about you. In fact, they trust and cherish you enough to share a "how-to" guide with you on one of the biggest struggles in their day-to-day life, their chronic pain.

Living with chronic pain means living a very uncertain lifestyle. I've been unsure if I can make dinner, unsure if I can drive myself home, unsure if I can walk up the stairs to get in bed, and unsure if I can write this workbook...and that's just today.

One place this chronic pain uncertainty extends to is relationships- friendships, family, and romantic relationships alike. Navigating uncertainty with well-meaning friends and family can leave everyone feeling uncomfortable and unheard. This uneasiness leads to miscommunications if we are lucky and, if we aren't so lucky, can lead to chronic pain loved ones feeling exhausted and alone.

This workbook aims to stop the cycles of miscommunication by giving concrete examples of "do's" and "do nots" when it comes to supporting someone living with chronic pain.

Remember, if your loved one is giving you this guide, then they already trust you. They want you by their side through their chronic pain journey and believe that you want to learn the best ways of supporting them.

So, leave your uneasiness here and continue on with curiosity.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about living with chronic pain.