Company’s calling - a different type of visitor
Today’s visitor with Company’s calling is not only someone who is living with pain, but someone who helps people who have pain. Serena Wadhwa Psy.D., LCPC, CADC of the TriQual Living Center has graciously agreed to an interview about her work and here is what she had to say:
What made you interested in this field, particularly working with people who have chronic pain?
There is both a professional and personal reason that contributed to my interest and subsequent expertise in chronic pain management. During my doctoral training, I worked at a pain clinic. As a therapist, it was frustrating to witness patients suffer as the various interventions provided pain relief on a trial and error basis. Personally, I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome. I didn’t want to resort to using medications if I didn’t have to, so I looked for alternative ways to manage the pain.
What is the significance behind the name TriQual Living?
TriQual Living Center focuses on the quality of the body, mind and spirit. Each of these interact and influence the others. The Center offers workshops, consultations and educational seminars to help individuals connect the three in better alignment. This helps to better manage stress, pain and other issues.
How do you go about assessing a patient with chronic pain when you first meet him or her?
I believe that developing a trusting, safe and collaborative relationship is primary. While I am an expert on certain subjects, I am not an expert on an individual’s experience of their pain, stress or other presenting problem. I seek to understand feelings, thoughts, behaviors, values and the narrative of the individual’s experience to help determine appropriate strategies. Most strategies typically involve ignoring, alleviating or eliminating the pain, but those are not the only options that exist.
I see that you work with people who have substance abuse and addiction problems - how is someone with that type of history managed if they develop severe chronic pain?
While my clinical experience is directed more towards individuals who suffer with chronic pain first and then develop an addiction to pain medication, it works the same way. The addiction has to be managed first, or at least, in conjunction with managing pain.
What would you say to someone who comes to you after having tried just about every medical treatment imaginable without success and is still experiencing severe chronic pain?
My guess would be that the individual feels pretty hopeless and believes they will never get better. Never enjoy certain activities, never be the person they want to be. For most individuals with chronic pain, it’s black/white: “I’ll always be in pain; I’ll never get better.” I would first listen and develop a relationship with the individual. I would seek to understand where they are coming from, what they have specifically tried, what their expectations are and how open they are to other methods of pain relief. I focus on baby steps and not necessarily the big picture. It varies from person to person, since some individuals with chronic pain are looking for immediate relief. I pay attention to the relationship of the individual to the process of pain management as well as how effective the strategy is for the individual.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, managing pain is not an easy thing, but it’s doable. It’s a lifestyle change. It’s a value change, it’s an identity change. Those changes require more that what most people realize. But people can and have gotten better. It just takes time.
Thank you so much for allowing us to see a bit into the “other side” of chronic pain. I enjoyed reading about your approach and hope that our visitors did too.
Image: iStock
~~~~~
Technorati Tags: chronic pain blog,chronic pain,living with chronic pain,pain blog,relief from chronic pain,serena wadhwa,triqual living center,chronic pain management,chronic pain syndroe,eliminating the pain
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Ask the Expert & Guest posts, Chronic Pain, Company's Calling, Pain Management, Unmanaged pain
0 opinions for Company’s calling - a different type of visitor
No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right? You could be first!
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: