What Chronic Pain Has Taught Me About Resilience | Trung Ngo | TEDxCentennialCollegeToronto

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Published 2019-04-03
In this talk, Trung Ngo proposes an interdisciplinary solution to address chronic pain and pain management. When faced with adversity, why do some people become stronger while others break down?

In the past decade, Trung Ngo has been exploring this question while treating people with complex, chronic pain at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Ngo has worked with leading clinicians and academics in pain rehabilitation and has published research in peer-reviewed journals. In 2017, he founded Novah Healthcare, a community-based clinic that offers an interdisciplinary approach to pain management. He also speaks regularly at public events in his quest to educate the community about chronic pain.

Outside of work, he is mastering the art of changing diapers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

All Comments (21)
  • The part where he said “imagine you have a severe headache that never goes away and nobody believes you” I started crying... because I don’t have to imagine. I live that.
  • @EDD519
    chronic pain taught me ,NO ONE without the PAIN knows or cares !
  • @alext4183
    As someone w severe chronic pain all I can say is we’re ALL resilient for still being here while having to work three times as hard as anyone else just to feel ok.
  • This is clearly a case of 'there is chronic pain' and 'there is chronic pain'. Millions of people have chronic pain. I belonged to the first group of chronic pain sufferers, since I was 13. But I managed to go to school, uni, get a job, have relationships, social life, travel etc. Then age 33, I had an accident and then the other chronic pain' hit. The kind that takes all that away, no surgery, no pain medication, no amount of yoga/meditation/exercise/PT takes away (of course they help), but it leaves you so so so very lonely and hopeless. I don't feel like a failure because I no longer participate in what society expects me to do - work full time, have kids, family, hobbies, go out, be social etc. I have accepted my new life and try to make the best of it, but resilient? What other option do we have if we are still breathing right now?
  • Chronic pain is the worst. Would much rather be dead. If you don't experience it you have no idea
  • @Elinorah
    Daily chronic pain takes away your independence, hobbies, relationships, identity. You are living a game of losing. Chronic pain is not a choice! And resilience is not a cure! When you suffer from chronic pain you learn to pretend that everything is alright, go above and beyond to do activities in an ableism society and learn to numb your emotions. At the end of the day, all I crave for is for physical relief. The absolute and whole sensation of feeling like a weightless feather.
  • It's real easy for you to say if it just emotional but to physically not be able to do something is different. It takes a different toll on your mind and body. Yes you can always make a good situation out of a bad one but some of us can't just get better by thinking that way
  • I’ve lived with extreme pain in my hips for 3 years now. I’m 21 with 2 hip replacements. I was a world class athlete for years winning across the nation. I lost all that in an instant. I’ve been struggling to find meaning in life ever since. All my brain can think about is how much pain I’m in. Every step. Every move. I just don’t know what to do anymore
  • @cmrjc74
    No one understands until you have experienced it… Nature is both beautiful and cruel
  • @WolfArtizan
    Living with chronic pain all my life as a young person has been difficult. I try not to let the fact I'm sick all the time determine my worth, but when your constantly in pain, constantly uncomfortable, often the only thing you feel like you can dwell on IS that pain. I have an illness called fibromyalgia, and I deal with managing the pain every single day. It makes me depressed sometimes. I can't really do much about it. Even though I have a wonderful mom that takes care of me, loves me, and is there for emotional support, I still feel extremely depressed.

    Man humans are very good at focusing on negatives..
  • Been struggling with chronic pelvic numbness and pain it’s taught me that life isn’t about you it’s about how adapt to whatever situation your put in. Hang in there everyone let’s keep our minds at ease.
  • @cynthiao.543
    Too simplistic...until you’ve lived for years with incurable severe pain that never goes away, I don’t believe u can really understand...but hopefully others will hear something here that helps them.
  • @rachelno9229
    Chronic pain is real, and there’s a good chance you can’t overcome it. The best advice I’ve ever received is to acknowledge it wholly. Don’t try to ignore it, acknowledge it. Being in chronic pain has many unique perspectives that profoundly affect mentality. You truly can’t just move on. Trust me, if it’s possible biologically, we would have. You have to acknowledge and shape your life around it. Finding a community has been the most helpful. Having someone be in the pain with me is the best. I recommend finding community.
  • @pergrinhui9863
    Chronic pain and suffering are NOT just choices people can make and have control over.
  • Sciatic pain is truly something that I wish no one experiences at the age that I have.😢 Im 21 and this has truly become an extremely debilitating thing for me.
  • Amazing quote by Epictetus: "during my illness, my conversations were not about my physical state; I did not waste my visitors time with things of that sort, but went on discussing philosophy, and concentrated on one point in particular: how the mind can participate in the sensations of the body and yet maintain its serenity, and focus on its own well-being. Nor did I let my doctors strut about like grandees. I went on living my life the way it should be lived."
  • @buddyandmissus
    Yes, I have chronic pain, and it is constant, from waking me up many times a night through the entire day and evening. Yes people's lives are completely destroyed by pain. I disagree with you saying. you can choose how pain affects your life. Messages like this are really bad for society. really horrible to be allowed to say categorize people in pain with these descriptions.
  • @MELLMAO
    The doctor-hopper part doesn't sit well with me? Like, be resilient but don't try to find cure. Basically, the message is just suffer and put yourself as a priority, but if you're unproductive and can't be independant, then you're making yourself a victim? Sorry, but this is a very weak message to people who have been in pain for years now. It is very clear to me that this doctor had no personal experience with chronic pain because only people who don't experience it can tell you something like this
  • I liked your video.. Only i disagree in the point that we can not choose how the pain is effecting our lives.. Pain which is chronic will in most cases (with me it happened after 9 years of pain) result in depression and mental problems.. These are things which we can not choose.. It happenes on completely unconscious level.. There is not only the pain itself but also a deep deep grief which we are feeling everyday..