The Mission of the ACPA

To facilitate peer support and education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals may live more fully in spite of their pain.
To raise awareness among the healthcare community, policy makers, and the public at large about issues of living with chronic pain.

Coping skills are techniques that can be helpful in managing pain. ACPA groups build on these coping skills:

We do not dwell on physical symptoms of pain.
We focus on abilities, not disabilities.
We recognize and talk freely about our feelings about pain and its control over our lives. We do not make judgments. Group discussions are confidential.
We use relaxation exercises to help ease the tension that increases pain and redirect attention away from our pain and suffering.
We demonstrate mild stretching exercises and encourage you to do them daily, if your doctor approves.
We set realistic goals and evaluate them weekly. This helps members to see that their desires can be achieved, one step at a time.
We recognize our basic rights, including the right to make mistakes, the right to say no, and the right to ask questions.

People with chronic pain are often “people pleasers.” We find it hard to express our needs and require that others respect them. And when our needs are not met, tension is increased and our pain seems worse.

But you do have the same basic rights that you grant to others. You have the right to:

Act in a way that promotes dignity and self-respect.
Be treated with respect.
Make mistakes.
Do less than you are humanly capable of doing.
Change your mind.
Ask for what you want.
Take time to slow down and think before you act.
Ask for information.
Ask for help or assistance.
Feel good about yourself.
Disagree.
Not have to explain everything you do and think.
Say “no” and not feel guilty.
Ask why.
Be listened to and taken seriously when expressing your feelings.
Read and reread these rights so that you not only know them by heart, but so that they become part of your daily life.

Making the journey from patient to person takes time. The isolation and fear that can overwhelm a person with chronic pain grows over time. And the return to a fuller, more rewarding life also takes time.

It’s a journey with many phases. The ACPA describes these phases as Ten Steps.

The ACPA’s Ten Steps For Moving From Patient To Person.

STEP 1: Accept the Pain

Learn all you can about your physical condition. Understand that there may be no current cure and accept that you will need to deal with the fact of pain in your life.

STEP 2: Get Involved

Take an active role in your own recovery. Follow your doctor’s advice and ask what you can do to move from a passive role into one of partnership in your own health care.

STEP 3: Learn to Set Priorities

Look beyond your pain to the things that are important in your life. List the things that you would like to do. Setting priorities can help you find a starting point to lead you back into a more active life.

STEP 4: Set Realistic Goals

We all walk before we run. Set goals that are within your power to accomplish or break a larger goal down into manageable steps. And take time to enjoy your successes.

STEP 5: Know Your Basic Rights

We all have basic rights. Among these are the right to be treated with respect, to say no without guilt, to do less than humanly possible, to make mistakes, and to not need to justify your decisions, with words or pain.

STEP 6: Recognize Emotions

Our bodies and minds are one. Emotions directly affect physical well being. By acknowledging and dealing with your feelings, you can reduce stress and decrease the pain you feel.

STEP 7: Learn to Relax

Pain increases in times of stress. Relaxation exercises are one way of reclaiming control of your body. Deep breathing, visualization, and other relaxation techniques can help you to better manage the pain you live with.

STEP 8: Exercise

Most people with chronic pain fear exercise. But unused muscles feel more pain than toned flexible ones. With your doctor, identify a modest exercise program that you can do safely. As you build strength, your pain can decrease. You’ll feel better about yourself, too.

STEP 9: See the Total Picture

As you learn to set priorities, reach goals, assert your basic rights, deal with your feelings, relax, and regain control of your body, you will see that pain does not need to be the center of your life. You can choose to focus on your abilities, not your disabilities. You will grow stronger in your belief that you can live a normal life in spite of chronic pain.

STEP 10: Reach Out

It is estimated that one person in three suffers with some form of chronic pain. Once you have begun to find ways to manage your chronic pain problem, reach out and share what you know. Living with chronic pain is an ongoing learning experience. We all support and learn from each other.

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Welcome to Los Angeles Chronic Pain Support