I think you've nailed it @Owlunar - when talking about mh 'recovery' during my studies we learned about the fact that it's good to look at it as more of a lifetime journey of learning rather than some eventual destination of curing. The pain and traumas from my past aren't going away, but I have learned how to manage better and gotten to a point where the triggers impact me less and less, but they still exist. Those experiences shaped me and there's no cure for experience. Chronic pain is similar, all about learning new ways of living and managing. 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts 😊