How do you,cope with chronic severe pain ?

Chronic severe painkillers... And whiskey.

Opiates.

I usually find myself cursing God and everyone else I can think of... but that's not really a coping device..... i don't want to be one of those ppl who have absolutely nothing of importance to offer a thread yet post something stupid like I just did... I've done it all, physical therapy, chiro, acupuncture, biofeedback training, pain management, stress management, traction, hopeful wishes, tequila, herb, narcotic meds, heat and cold therapy, indian prayers, etc etc etc etc.
I think I can say without a doubt though.... dwelling on your misery, thinking about it too much, remembering all that you suffered and loss, imagining how it coulda shoulda woulda been, all that crap doesn't help one damn bit. Not even the tiniest, imaginable amount.
Don't give up and don't lose your ties to family and friends. Force yourself to be active for at least 20 minutes/day. Ask others (including God) for their forgiveness after you yell at them in response to how yucky you feel. Don't forget that most people haven't a clue about chronic pain. These people will always refer to it as "back pain" or "getting old/out of shape" ...and you want to correct them or throw the first thing your hand reaches at them. but it's a counterproductive approach that will just end up hurting the relationships you have with those people. Most people (Thank God) will never know the misery of chronic pain so don't expect them to help you keep track of when to take your meds, etc, lol.
Imagine how they feel.... we are consumed and distracted by an all encompassing force that relentlessly beats us down.... but imagine if you had to watch someone go through this kind of torture... nothing you could do or say... not even your biggest, brightest discovery or your entire life's work can help... all you can do is witness their misery.... feel their lows without ever being reminded of how their laugh sounds.
Most people don't know how to behave or how to react if you are suddenly stricken with overwhelming pain or fatigue. .. there's more, i could go on forever.. but my arms are about to fall off
be good, do good and be as happy as you can because no matter how bad it is, it can always get worse. There are others who aren't as fortunate as you and I or the others here who are reading this...
Count your blessings every day and truly feel thankful for everything.

At least I'm able to ***** about all this bullshit, robbed me of everything that I had been working towards but I'm grateful that I can still use the bathroom without assistance. I understand the value of a dollar and even though I know ignorance is bliss, I am grateful that I still care enough to not only have an opinion but to post it for all to see and who cares if they don't get it or think I've already lost my mind...
I have the cutest dogs in the world. they love me and they bring more joy to my life than I ever expected they could.

that being said... good night and... f

Laugh! I've always tried to mask pain with jokes and making others laugh. Shifts the focus away from me. But truthfully, when the pain gets really, really bad, I tend to withdraw into myself and avoid contact with others because I'd rather they not be aware of the situation. So often, thinking they are helping, they go overboard and become super solicitious which can drive me up a tree in 5 seconds flat! so alot of time I just fake it, say I'm feeling great. My body let's me know when it's time to take the pain meds. But as I said earlier, laughter. If I can joke around and make others laugh, odds are that I'll laugh also. and in out shared laughter, the focus shifts and everyone feels a little better. Hope that makes some sense.