Do you have a high pain threshold? The good news is that you probably do not feel much pain. However, the dangerous side is that you are less likely to be aware of the warning signs your body is giving you. Or, if you feel some pain and ignore it, the physical problem is likely to become more serious.
On the contrary, Judy has a very low pain threshold and sometimes feels frustrated, because she quickly experiences discomfort or pain when she is not taking care of her health. However, Judy also realizes that it is a major gift, because she has the opportunity to make positive changes and prevent further problems.
No one likes pain. However, I realized many years ago that it is the body's way of giving us an important message that is very important to notice. For example, when Judy got lazy and stopped exercising, she experienced pain and swelling under her arms. Aware that this is a lymph issue and can cause serious problems, she started taking supplements to help her lymph move and exercised more. The pain and swelling subsided.
In another case, Bruce, a retired landscaper, had noticed that his fingers were painful, swollen and stiff. The discomfort inspired him to learn more about arthritis, and what he could do to prevent it. He improved his condition by changing his diet and exercising his fingers regularly. Bruce would not accept his peers comments that arthritis comes with aging and to just ignore the pain.
There are many cases where men and women seem to be healthy. Then, one day, they are diagnosed with cancer or other life-threatening disease. Being oblivious to pain hurt them severely. In some cases, they recalled feeling some pain but ignored the symptom.
Mary, a forty-four-year-old accountant, prided herself in her high energy and health and was a workaholic. She rarely took any vacation time. One day, Mary hurt herself at work. Her doctor discovered some heart problems. Mary was encouraged to take time off and rest more if she wanted to live a lot longer. She admitted sometimes having some discomfort in her chest but just disregarded the signals. If Mary had listened to her body and balanced her life, she could have prevented the damage to her heart.
It is important for parents to also acknowledge the physical complaints of their children. Cynthia thought her 10-year-old-son, Gary, was complaining to avoid going to school. However, when he passed out in school, the doctors discovered he had diabetes. Cynthia felt terrible that she discounted her son's warning signs. It was easy for her to do, because she had a high pain threshold and ignored her own symptoms even when she felt them.
Pain is your body "talking to you." Hopefully, you are listening. Just like it is important to pay attention to your automobile's signs that something is wrong and fix it before you get stuck or have an accident, it is imperative to attend to your pain symptoms. Then you can prevent many serious illnesses. Pain can truly be a gift.
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copyright 2009 by Helene Rothschild, MS, MA, LMFT, Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, intuitive counselor, and author of,"All You Need Is HART! Create Love, Joy and Abundance ~NOW!" She offers telephone sessions, a relationship check-up report/questionnaire, books, e-books, CDs, Mp3 audios, plus a free newsletter, "Healing Your Body" Mp3 and "Truths Set You Free" e-booklet. http://www.lovetopeace.com , 1-888-639-6390.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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