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Whether we experience chronic pain or strong emotions, their intensity and duration fluctuate.
How long does a strong emotion last, ten minutes, an hour, a day, or longer?
How about chronic pain, it can last a lifetime, but it fluctuates, intensity spikes, then recede with stimulus.
I have found the biggest influences are attitude and thoughts. Being sedentary, acting like a victim, increases suffering.
For me, being part of a 15 person chronic pain group highlighted this importance.
For instance, if I fear my pain, it gains power.
Pain lasts longer and becomes more intense, more problematic.
My thoughts are the big influencer, for good or more suffering.
Let’s take my chronic pain: I do not fear my pain, I know it fluctuates and does no damage until it reaches an intolerable pain level.
This lets me ignore my pain 95% of the time.
The less I entertain thoughts about my chronic pain or PTSD, the more enjoyable my life becomes.
How about you, ever think of how your thoughts increase suffering?
Ptsd pain reacts the same way.
Our tightly held thoughts and emotions have a great impact on suffering or lack of suffering.
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PTSD - A Way Out.com 
Posted by kindfeelings on January 23, 2022 at 4:01 pm
Yes it does fluctuate, as I get older I become less reactive and more observant of these fluctuations.
Posted by Marty on January 23, 2022 at 4:37 pm
Awareness seems to be a great skill
So if pain and suffering fluctuates
Something is impacting it or it cannot sustain its intensity
That means it has weaknesses we can exploit
Posted by kindfeelings on January 23, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Skill is the perfect word to describe it, the more we practice the better we get.
Posted by Marty on January 23, 2022 at 9:34 pm
It’s true
The discipline and reward are a bonus
Posted by rudid96 on January 24, 2022 at 12:38 am
ATM, I’m not experiencing the chronic pain of my autoimmune disease. I believe that’s in large part due to the shift created as a result of this journey for self-hood. The positive force has helped in grounding but I find I mentally run from things that could be a trigger. Do you do that? Or, have you expanded what you previously experienced as intolerable?
Posted by Marty on January 24, 2022 at 1:26 am
When I first healed, I would search out my trigger places and go sit there until they calmed
That was after I could dissipate cortisol and adrenaline while meditating
Then I went out and challenged it
That was years ago
Now I go out but only to somethings
This weekend I went to two basketball games
I avoid bars and parties now
I have to much damage from relationships with women
I carry enough of my own baggage to doom any new relationship
I am not afraid of my triggers
Depression is my kryptonite