Struggles in School with Chronic Pain

February 17, 2021 | by Tess

Having chronic pain and going to school at the same time is very difficult. Before having a constant headache, I was a straight A student with perfect attendance, and this changed in the span of one day. I started missing school in the middle of seventh grade when I first got my headache and this cycle continued throughout eighth grade. I could not even be in school for a whole week without going home and I was falling behind. My once active school and social life was vanishing before me. It was hard to talk to my friends because my condition is “invisible” and I did not know how to bring up the conversation when I usually talk about light-hearted topics. Even though I have learned pain management techniques and regained my academic and social life in high school, I still have struggles because of my pain and want to share some so people know they are not alone in the isolated struggle against chronic pain. Here are two struggles I have when going to school with chronic pain.

• Prioritizing and conserving energy

Since returning back to my “regular” school schedule and starting high school, I have struggled with setting boundaries and learning how to conserve energy while putting in effort. I still frequently fall into the mentality of doing all activities at 100%, which is impossible when trying to manage pain. I sometimes forget my pain management technique of pacing and not practicing pacing leads to a spike in my headache or becoming exhausted. To reduce this problem, I like to write all my activities in a planner and make sure to schedule breaks and time for self care throughout the day.

• Comparing myself

Ever since I started high school, I have noticed I tend to compare myself with other students in my grade which, by nature, most students do. However, as a student with chronic pain, I have to remember that I only need to compete with myself and I have to take into account the constant headache I have. My headache does limit me from activities and the amount of classes I can take, but I need to remember that my mental and physical health come first. When I start to question “am I doing enough”, I redirect my thoughts to remember all I have overcome and how I am doing the best I can at the moment.