Curable app

[Orangesandlemons77]

Has anyone tried this app for pain management? How did you get on? I'm thinking about it but unsure.

It’s both as the pain never goes away, and there are too many injuries to identify what is primary and what is secondary. It’s just pain. Unfortunately doesn’t matter if it’s from frequent injuries if it never goes away you’re still classed as chronic, and still subjected to the ridiculous rules on medication.

still highly dubious about a system that requires belief to work, especially with the sums of money involved.

I wouldn't really say there's sums of money involved, the techniques are free. You could just Google them. The app just provides a library of resources, that's what you pay for, not having to go out and do the research yourself.

I couldn't live the way I was. I still have an agitated nervous system, I'm highly disregulated by stress and the pain I experienced so learning to calm it into parasympathetic state has saved my life.

It's £58 to subscribe. Still not sure. I have some books e.g. Full Catastrophe Living, Mindfulness and Pain so wonder if will cover the same things.

I also have the Calm app and it has some things on pain on there so wonder if might just use that.

Can I ask what you mean about the ridiculous rules on medication, for pain classed as chronic, please?

NICE have changed the rules in prescribing medication for chronic pain. They recommend antidepressants, courses called acceptance therapy, acupuncture but deny the right of access to even paracetamol.

m it’s actually alarming, especially if you’ve found pain relief that’s helpful. Instead offered antidepressants or therapy.

it’s similar to what happened in the USA and it caused havoc for people who were already close to their limit.

There’s already been a big campaign to get it stoooed, because the system of evidence gathering totally discounted a large amount of research, and of course new research stating there isn’t actually enough evidence of efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of pain, but let’s ignore than and focus removing the things people do find helpful.

Thanks for the reply. Mine is diagnosed as Neuralgia and for this they seem to mainly prescribe e.g. pregabalin.

Also adhesions post surgery for this I have co-codomol mainly for flare ups.

I'm sorry to hear about people having problems accessing pain meds.

I've read through the NICE guidance and yes it is different for neuropathic and chronic pain. Interesting to read about the Acupuncture and also about how Pain management classes didn't seem that helpful. Yes my post surgical and post herpectic neuralgia pain definitely come under neuropathic pain.

I'm wondering if the Curable approach is going to be helpful with the type of pain I have, possibly. Maybe the pain meds might still be required though.

Does anyone that’s used this app think it would be useful for a teenager? Thanks

Yes possibly, especially the education and meditations. I think it’s more suited to maybe 16+.

Regarding the writing exercises, I think if there’s emotional neglect running through your family (not parents’ fault! It can be a generational learned pattern thing and not a personal failing) it could be difficult for a teen to work through that while still at home under the wing of parents. As a parent I’d want to work through the education bits too to be able to support them to feel any anger/whatever or at least understand what they might be working through. I would google Nicole Sach’s journalspeak too to get an idea of the kinds of things that come up in the writing exercises on Curable so that you’re prepared. Basically to achieve emotional safety, you need to be an environment and around people where it’s safe to feel and express your full range of feelings.

Curable is good for the kind of perfectionist, people pleaser personality type (they tend to power on being responsible for everyone and everything and don’t rest and prioritise themselves, so can manifest pain as a societally acceptable excuse to get the rest they need - this was me and still is my mum!) So I would just be aware that kind of thing can come up so that you’re prepared to not take it personally if any anger about that comes up.

Have a good google/read through the resources/names mentioned at the beginning of this thread as that will give you a good and free flavour of the material before paying for the app.

Just had a look on the Apple App Store - it’s rated 17+ and I’d agree that sounds about right. There’s nothing adult on it but I think it’s about emotional ability/sophistication as above.

Thank you for your reply, that’s really useful to know. I’ll have a good search of the names and resources mentioned.
it sounds like it might be useful even for me to complete so that I’ve got more understanding and can support with coping strategies etc

Yep definitely. Just thinking more, there’s a whole bit about how you talk about the pain eg calling it gentler things like sensations - not to minimise it but because it actually helps the brain calm down about it, so it can only help if you know that kind of stuff so you can support in how you talk to your teen about the pain.

It was really important to me that my husband understand the theories they talk about in the app. My mum and sister already knew as they do a job that involves nervous system. It meant a lot to me that he lay with me and listened to all the podcasts and sessions. So it's definitely worth being as informed as your teen.

I am not sure it's for me. Finding it a bit American and irritating. I am finding the meditations on Calm app better so far.