Going into the Chronic Pain Program, I was a case manager in a highly stressful position. Due to this, I was leary what it would be like going from a case manager, therapist, to a client. I was the one who wasn't in control anymore. The therapist leads the session and the client follows the therapists plans.
Commitment to therapy is always brought about by an event. We may be born with a disability, find an inherited condition later in life, we may be getting older and our joints and limbs do not work as well as they used to or like some of us, we may have succumbed our fate; surviving the illness or accident which brought us in.
No matter how we ended up working with the therapist the outcome is initially the same. We bring it within ourselves to want to change and have a goal in mind, getting better and back to our old usual self.
The first appointment is set aside for pre medical paperwork and to get to know each other, ensuring a good fit between the client and therapist. Although the client may come in with high expectations of the therapist the therapists goal and outcome may be completely different. For me, going into the chronic pain program I knew it wasn't going to fix my pain. There is no quick fix for this - however I did have the expectation that it would give me the tools, aids and devices to be able to go back to my old position, as a child protection worker.
As time went on, the therapists and I developed a working relationship together, sharing our own lives and personal experiences as we worked through the goals, getting to know our personalities and meshing together. I shared a lot of my current and past live with all of my therapists. There was one though, that I shared more with; as I felt very comfortable talking to her. She was my Occupational Therapist and worked with me in the intimate parts of my life. She was open to discussing these issues, and assisting with them to hopefully elevate the chronic pain. We had a good thing going for us, and it worked.
Ten months into the program I had reached a standstill where the pain and cognitive function were surpassing the knowledge of my therapists. So much though that they believed the city of Thunder Bay could not assist me in therapy programs anymore. I was being discharged. I was flat hearted. It went to my heart. What did I do wrong to be discharged. I didn't understand where this was coming from. Goals were again being mentioned. What were the goals and what was the position of the therapist. Why were they there working with me? When this was mentioned, I rebutted, but realized that they were doing more of what I needed but was not in the management of the college that they were working under.
Working on softer discharge plans takes hard work and communication. It takes honesty and knowing how to react, as we say goodbye to each other. Even though I'm not fixed and back to my old self, I will continue to strive.
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