For Family

Tips for family members and friends

Don't minimize or invalidate the pain. It's very much real. Learn about pain to better understand what the person is experiencing and that the pain may never go away.
Help but don't coddle – promote independence and active self-management.
Don't talk about pain, symptoms, treatments, or how the person feels. Switch the conversation to other more enjoyable and meaningful topics to reduce focus from the pain.
Identify unhelpful pain behaviors – remaining neutral in your response. I include a list of pain behaviors in my free e-book and my pain course.
Do things that help distract them from the pain. Engage the person in something enjoyable like a board game, a movie, or a walk.
Encourage the person to become more physically active using moderation and modification.
Reinforce healthy behaviors like staying positive, sleeping better, challenging negative thoughts and beliefs, managing stress, exercising regularly, eating right, avoiding tobacco, and limiting alcohol.
Recognize positive changes by the person– helping them celebrate the wins along the way, no matter how big or how small.

Be sure to download my free e-book (no need to provide your personal information or email) to learn more about chronic pain and encourage your family member/friend to take my $19 pain course to learn how they can take control and live well.

THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLAIMER PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

​Tips for family members and friends

Tips for family members and friends