People ask how do you enjoy life while being in so much pain?  It depends on the person and their mental stability. Currently, I am learning what my limitations are.  There are a lot of things a person who suffers from pain have to go through mentally and physically. There are seven signs of grief people generally go through. People like us have to deal with the grieving process as well.

Seven Stages

1.Shock or disbelieve that this is happening to us.

2. Denial we don’t accept or want to believe we have to go deal with pain.

3. Anger wants to know why and so angry we can’t fix this problem

4. Bargaining what if I take this medicine instead or do this to cure this pain.

5. Guilt that we did something or we should’ve done something else.

6. Depression our world has come to a halt. There is nothing else we can do to help our condition.

7.  At last, this stage is a working process Acceptance and hope. We accept our condition and everything else that goes along with it. We Hope our future will be brighter.

Some people are not aware of the what people with pain go through on a daily basis. It is a mental and physical challenge every moment for us. We may smile on the outside but are so hurt on the inside. Our mind is telling us one thing while our body is doing another.  We are alone a lot not because we choose to be, but we can’t bring ourselves to involve others out of fear. Whether it’s our immediate family or friends it is hard to explain to someone how you feel. In our mind, we think they might not believe us or we might be a burden to them.

To answer the question how can I enjoy life while in so much pain is because I am going through my seven stages learning and fighting against myself. My family has been by my side every step.  I am starting to discover the person I am becoming. I have begun to accept pain is the new norm for me.  So, I chose to travel it helps me cope with my pain. I am suffering from anxiety and possible PTSD as well. My struggle is very hard mentally and physically every day. I use traveling as a coping tool to get away from my everyday life. People don’t see me a night in the hotel room or at home crying and in severe pain.  The during the day when I am taking pictures; people see the smile but not the pain I am dealing with inside. Every day I tried to enjoy it to the fullest.