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Pain Sucks Episode 005 – Handling pain mentally and emotionally with Mandy Leonards, MSW
Mandy runs a private psychotherapy clinic in the Indianapolis, In area.
She is an age group athlete in running and triathlons so a high level but unpaid athlete
In May of 2019 she suffered a ruptured 10mm herniated disc at L5-S1 and it set her up for a journey that she is just now coming out of.
We talked about pain causing FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND BEING SCARED OF THE FUTURE and how it’s ok to feel all those emotions. She taught us to VALIDATE THOSE FEELINGS but don’t get stuck there as the longer you stay there the harder it is to get out.
Knowing that pain is going to be a journey of months to years sometimes allows you to reset and recalibrate to win.
One of her tricks she used in her own journey and with her clients is to take inventory of all that is good and be grateful through the pain (not for the pain).
The mind body connection is huge, and we talked about several resources documenting emotional states and its link to cortisol leading to more inflammation and thus more pain.
“The Body Keeps A Score” and “Healing Back Pain” are two books outlining emotional states and the response the physical body makes and how we can reverse the process and engineer healing.
When we feel pain, we need to ground ourselves. She recommends 5-second-deep breaths and just focus on the here and now. Sounds, smells, our own breathing etc. Not to diminish the pain or fix it but to be present to rewire the body.
3 things Mandy recommends
- Deep breathing and acknowledging the present. Allow yourself to be vulnerable with yourself and honest about how the pain makes you feel. Then ground yourself.
- Utilize resources. Lean on those who love you and even have connections to practitioners and resources for healing. Don’t do it alone ever.
- Focus on what you can do right now and JUST DO IT. Get up. Go to a ballgame your kid is playing. Have dinner with the family. Go for a walk. Watch a movie.
Understand completely you have to DO THE WORK. Healing wont’ happen with passivity. You must take action.
She can be reached at www.mandyleonards.com
Her blog site is
https://www.mandyleonards.com/blog where you can learn about her journey and work on your own.
Some Final thoughts Mandy left us with:
Trauma makes your brain go into fight or flight mode. This can me emotional trauma OR physical trauma OR BOTH. You can either be okay in everyday life, or freeze where the past repeats over and over. Make room for BOTH. When people are stuck, two aspects of them are trying to get through a single door. Make a double door and give permission. Remember, anything that will reduce stress is going to be helpful in terms of reducing inflammation.
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By Dr. Matt Milonas
5
99 ratings
Mandy runs a private psychotherapy clinic in the Indianapolis, In area.
She is an age group athlete in running and triathlons so a high level but unpaid athlete
In May of 2019 she suffered a ruptured 10mm herniated disc at L5-S1 and it set her up for a journey that she is just now coming out of.
We talked about pain causing FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND BEING SCARED OF THE FUTURE and how it’s ok to feel all those emotions. She taught us to VALIDATE THOSE FEELINGS but don’t get stuck there as the longer you stay there the harder it is to get out.
Knowing that pain is going to be a journey of months to years sometimes allows you to reset and recalibrate to win.
One of her tricks she used in her own journey and with her clients is to take inventory of all that is good and be grateful through the pain (not for the pain).
The mind body connection is huge, and we talked about several resources documenting emotional states and its link to cortisol leading to more inflammation and thus more pain.
“The Body Keeps A Score” and “Healing Back Pain” are two books outlining emotional states and the response the physical body makes and how we can reverse the process and engineer healing.
When we feel pain, we need to ground ourselves. She recommends 5-second-deep breaths and just focus on the here and now. Sounds, smells, our own breathing etc. Not to diminish the pain or fix it but to be present to rewire the body.
3 things Mandy recommends
- Deep breathing and acknowledging the present. Allow yourself to be vulnerable with yourself and honest about how the pain makes you feel. Then ground yourself.
- Utilize resources. Lean on those who love you and even have connections to practitioners and resources for healing. Don’t do it alone ever.
- Focus on what you can do right now and JUST DO IT. Get up. Go to a ballgame your kid is playing. Have dinner with the family. Go for a walk. Watch a movie.
Understand completely you have to DO THE WORK. Healing wont’ happen with passivity. You must take action.
She can be reached at www.mandyleonards.com
Her blog site is
https://www.mandyleonards.com/blog where you can learn about her journey and work on your own.
Some Final thoughts Mandy left us with:
Trauma makes your brain go into fight or flight mode. This can me emotional trauma OR physical trauma OR BOTH. You can either be okay in everyday life, or freeze where the past repeats over and over. Make room for BOTH. When people are stuck, two aspects of them are trying to get through a single door. Make a double door and give permission. Remember, anything that will reduce stress is going to be helpful in terms of reducing inflammation.