How our pain experiences relate to our spirituality/religion is a special interest of mine.  Spirituality was an important way of coping for me when I was suffering due to pain, and one of the most important ways I grew as a person because of the difficult time I had.

This is Part 5 in a series of Monday posts about how Hinduism views pain and suffering, based on an article I wrote.  (Part 1, 2, 3, 4)

Today we’ll look at what medical studies tell us about acceptance as a coping skill.

“Of the Hindu concepts we’ve talked about, acceptance, from a nonreligious perspective, has been studied in pain research.  Although acceptance isn’t unique to Hinduism, it’s certainly central to the religion, and includes at least 2 aspects.

1. Hindu traditions view acceptance as a logical attitude towards what one’s life presents, including pain and suffering, because all is seen as the just working of karma (karma = the principle that determines the unfolding of events, based on how a person has lived).
2. The practice of acceptance is also a means to a greater end, detachment.  The process of accepting one’s life lessens one’s desire for things to be different than they are.  As desires fall away, detachment is achieved.

Related to pain, both painful and pain-free states would be accepted equally.  Detachment from this world, to be focused on God/The Ultimate, is a primary goal in Hinduism.

As ways to cope with pain, acceptance-based strategies can be contrasted to control-based strategies.  In control-based strategies, the goal is to decrease problematic thoughts, feelings, or experiences.  It’s believed that these need to be reduced for improvement to occur.

For example, relaxation treatment is a control-based strategy for anxiety, in which relaxation exercises are used to decrease the thoughts and feelings described as “anxiety.”  The treatment goal would be a reduction or elimination of anxiety.

In contrast, acceptance approaches attempt to “teach clients to feel emotions and bodily sensations more fully and without avoidance, and to notice fully the presence of thoughts without following, resisting, believing, or disbelieving them.”

However, uncomfortable thoughts and feelings are delinked from behavior.  Thus, problematic thoughts, feelings, or experiences don’t have to be reduced for improvements in behavioral endpoints to occur.  Patients can focus on making desired behavior choices regardless of their feelings or thoughts.

In treating chronic pain, the goal of treatment wouldn’t be to decrease pain.  As well, patients would be taught to not have their pain level determine their activity level, thus decoupling uncomfortable feelings from behavior.”

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Because of my interest in spirituality and pain, I’m writing a series of journal articles on how different religious traditions view pain and suffering.  The first paper in this series looks at Hinduism, and it’s currently in press in the Journal of Pain, 2007.

These ideas were developed on the basis of readings, including the Hindu holy book The Bhagavad-Gita, and on discussions with Hindu scholars and those who practice Hinduism.  My hope is that these posts will be interesting to all readers as well as offering ideas to help you with your pain.  I look forward to your thoughts.

Next Monday…  What published studies tell us about acceptance as a coping skill.

(The bib above is from  babiescantread.com.)

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