First off I'll say I am not one to be the least bit hesitant to take a pill that will help my symptoms and/or ease my pain. But we all know pills don't always fix our issues. I just thought it would be interesting to see what others do to manage pain and anxiety, in addition to drugs.
Most of what I rely on comes from my UC days beginning in 1985:
1. My faith. I know we aren't to discuss religion here, but my list wouldn't be complete if I didn't at least mention it as part of my "tool box."
2. Relaxing music. My family laughs at me and calls me an old lady bc I am forever playing restful music. I used one particular album on cassette for years and always worried it would break from over use. I even used it during labor, lol. The name of it escapes me at the moment, but I did look for a replacement years ago and could only find it on vinyl. Thankfully I have my grandmother's turn table still! Obviously, I haven't listened to it in a long time, but that music always took me to an immediate place of rest.
3. Breathing techniques. I read in a book somewhere along the way that said to choose a two syllable word that has special meaning or is relaxing to you. You inhale "the good" on the first syllable and exhale "the bad" on the second syllable. For me, the good is any healing thought and the bad is the pain or anxiety. May sound weird, but I find the benefits so automatic now. I don't have patience for meditation, so this is my quick "go to."
4. Relaxation techniques. I catch my self being tensed up in parts of my body I didn't even realize were tense until I purposely make myself aware. Start at the top of your head and slowly work down all parts of your body. Go slowly and don't skip any part. You'd be amazed to find where your tension resides.
5. Visualization and touch. It never made my UC go away, but it did ease the pain when it swelled. I would gently place my hands on my abdomen where the pain was and visualize the pain and disease/obstruction/etc moving out of my body. I find the warmth of hands on a painful area to still be helpful.
I think that covers it. I hope this doesn't come off too corney, lol. But, you know, when you are struggling you look for all sorts of ways to find relief.
I'd love to hear what others have tried. Or, at the very least, I hope this helps someone.
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