In my book Defying The Verdict, I write about my experience with the CRPS forums. I was new to the CRPS world and was looking for the support and encouragement in fighting the disease. Instead, I found a community of people completely absorbed by their illness, for whom their illness became their identity, something that made them stand apart from the rest of the world. I got a feeling that, even if offered a path to a complete recovery, they would be reluctant to step on it. My suspicions were confirmed few years later, when I tried to reach out to CRPS patients and tell them that they can heal without paying thousands of dollars for risky treatments with little chance of success. Out of a half a dozen of people who I spoke to, only one became interested. Believe it or not, she succeeded, even quicker than I expected!
Today, I came across the article that goes deeper into the phenomenon of a Stockholm Syndrome of chronic pain. I highly recommend that you read it. It quotes Alan Gordon, one of the most prominent practitioners in the world of mindbody method. Here is the link: When Chronic Pain Becomes Who You Are.
Leave a Reply