When you come down to it, how you react to chronic pain is down to the type of person you are. It’s all about emotion and strength of character. If you give in, you’re committing yourself to becoming an invalid. Your world will shrink around you. You will retreat to your bed, trembling even at the thought of movement, dosed up with tramadol or one of the other painkillers. Or you can take control of your life. There’s no sense in worrying about what you can’t fix. Let’s say you have arthritis. There’s no cure. It means you can’t do as much as you used to do. Your plan now is to learn enough so you can do more without having to rely on tramadol for the rest of your life. The first step should be to meet with others like you. A lot of people think they’re doing just fine because they never meet anyone else who has the same problems. There will probably be a self-help group in your area. If not, you should form one. Every area needs an information resource. You need to know where to get help and advice. Where to find the special equipment and tools to help you get more done. By comparing notes and experiences, you’ll get a different outlook on life. If others can do more, so can you. Dump the self-pity and get working on new ways to improve the quality of your life with less tramadol or any of the other painkillers.