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In reply to the discussion: Living in Chronic Pain and Seeking Advice [View all]Avalux
(35,015 posts)Meditation - learning to focus on and control your breath will help in calming your nervous system; it takes practice but after 30 days you should notice a difference. It will also help with how you PERCEIVE your pain allowing you to deal with it better mentally.
Diet - pay attention to what you're eating and then try to cut out the processed foods; eat as fresh as possible. Gluten may be an issue as others have pointed out, wouldn't hurt to give that up just to see what happens.
Exercise - gentle restorative stretching may be a good option. It's a type of yoga and is effective in relieving stiffness/pain.
I am sorry you are in so much pain that's it's affecting your daily living and your thinking. My mother has fibromyalgia and these things have worked for her. She takes ibuprofen on a bad day but nothing else. We don't know the mechanism of action of antidepressants recommended to relieve this type of pain and taking them long-term may not be wise knowing this. I am not telling you to not take pharmaceuticals; but if you haven't tried these other things, worth a shot.
Good luck and I hope you find something that relieves your pain so you can regain a sense of well-being and enjoy life again.