Getting Started

How much of a problem is pain in SCI?

It is very common for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) to experience chronic pain.

It’s not surprising, then, that pain affects the lives of people with SCI in many ways.

Efforts to control pain can be part of the problem

The more you focus on controlling your pain, the less you can focus on other things that are important to you.

The constant struggle to control pain may be blocking you from living life the way you want.

Avoiding pain can be part of the problem

In addition to trying to get control of pain, some people work very hard to avoid their pain.

Some examples of ways people try to avoid or numb themselves to pain:

• Shopping
• Gambling
• Entertainment
• Scrolling social media
• Eating
• Excessive napping/sleeping
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Recreational drugs

Relying on these and other avoidance strategies can create unhelpful habits that derail you from living the life you want.

More importantly, when you try to avoid an internal experience, like pain, you tend to feel more, not less, pain.

What is this program about?

You may not be able to choose to live without pain, but you can choose to live differently with your pain. This program was created according to the ideas of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, to help you change how you live with pain. Studies have shown that ACT can reduce how intense pain is and how much of an impact it has on people’s lives.

How can I use this program?

This program has 9 steps. It is important to:

1. Start with the first step and work your way through to the end.
   *If you have struggled to make new habits in the past, you may choose to go to “Planning for Success” next!
2. For each step:
   1. Read the text
   2. Watch the live video
   3. Watch the animation video (when available)
   4. Do the practice exercises!
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Practice the activities or exercises that are part of each step. Reading, watching, listening, and thinking about the steps is not enough. You need to change the way you live. The activities in the steps will help you to live in-line with your goals and values – to live better with pain.

Does using this program mean I am giving up on managing my pain?

Some people hear about ACT and think we are asking you to give up on managing your pain and live in misery.

But, ACT is far more hopeful and optimistic than that.

Consider the Serenity Creed:

The serenity creed recognizes that some things, like pain, may not change. If it is true that you can not change your pain, that you will continue to hurt, what can you change about your experience? ACT can help you to suffer less and struggle less with your pain – these are things that you can change!