Chronic pain and "The world is not a safe place"

By Baerbel Froehlin, EFT-ADV

Hi Gary!

If you recall, we had worked on stage in Denver (DVDs Mastering EFT) on the pain in the right side of my head and it stayed away for a long time.  For a while now I have been struggling with severe TMJ pain on the right side of my face.  It affected all muscles on that side of my head, front and back, jaw, neck, including some teeth when eating.  The right temple was extremely painful - again.

Finally, I started physical therapy (PT) as my doctor couldn't come up with anything but prescribing pain killers, which I refused to take.  During PT (more than two hours each time) the painful areas would be manipulated, stimulated, massaged, pulled and stretched by hand, traction unit, ultrasound and more, with no lasting change.  After three treatments the therapist told me the muscles still felt tight like guitar strings.

One morning, as I was treated with the traction unit that stretches the head away from the neck to relieve tension and allows the muscles to relax, I thought I would use the time and do some EFT.  This time I felt like addressing the tension in my muscles from a different, more loving angle than before.

I ask for peace, calm and lasting comfort to come into my system.

I deserve to have peace, lasting comfort and calm in my whole body.

My poor body … so much discomfort for so long.

I love my body ... I want it to be free of pain again.

I now ask for lasting peace, lasting calm and lasting comfort in my body.

As I was tapping, pictures of recent sessions with chronic pain clients came up; chronic pain that didn't want to budge.  A picture of my cat Noodle who has big cancer tumors growing in her right side, and me, frantically working on finding relief for her, to stop the tumors from multiplying, with no luck.  More pictures of crazy, frantic emotional states I had been in lately, desperately trying to help, heal, save, to make better, with no luck.

It dawned on me that I had taken on issues around death and dying, suffering, hopelessness, loss and much grief.  A growing jungle of complex issues around me had contributed to the mountain of overwhelming sadness that made my muscles hard like guitar strings, not wanting to let go at all. It hit me: THIS WORLD IS NOT A SAFE PLACE!  Life is not safe at all!

As soon as I got home I started researching my notes about chronic pain issues.  I found the feeling of not being safe is everywhere and most profound for many chronic pain sufferers.  In my case, being unable to change the sad facts of life had made me physically ill in the past and here I had ignored it again.  The long session I had with myself went somewhat like this:

Even though I don't feel safe in this world I ask for peace, calm and lasting comfort to come into my system.

I deserve to have peace, lasting comfort and calm in my whole body.

Even though there is profound sadness in me I choose to be more aware of happy and beautiful things.

I'm not here to carry other people's burdens; I'm here to help them get better.  That's my job and I'm really good at it.

I've known forever that the world is a crazy place, becoming more crazy all the time … it feels scary sometimes … but it doesn't mean I'm in danger.

I realize that life is precious … and I want to be right in it … participating with full strength and appreciation.

I choose to feel deeply at peace within myself … and radiate it out to others in need … so they can feel safe as well.

I choose to remind myself often that I can feel safe ... I am protected by Divine power always.

I now choose to nourish myself back to complete health and comfort.

I let love flow freely through my system … so my body can start moving comfortably and freely.

Love flows freely and easily to my cat  … helping her through this difficult time of her life … and even though it breaks my heart to watch her …  trust she will let me know when it is time for her to leave.

Shortly after this session most of the muscles did relax a lot; only one guitar string left so far.  I've been pain free with only small discomforts occasionally which disappeared without intervention. There is a more fluent feeling, as if things are moving on their own now.  

GC COMMENT: It might also be useful to address specific events underlying the feeling that the world is not safe.

BAERBEL CONTINUES: I've also added these tapping phrases for my daily use:

My body is made to heal itself.

I choose to remove any blocking beliefs.

I let my enormous healing potential go to work with love.

I choose to view the world as a wonderful, safe place with lots of joy and happiness in it.

I choose to easily transform any negative energy into light and love.

All is well!

Peace and Love to all!

Baerbel Froehlin, CHt./HypnoCoach, EFT-ADV