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The Empath’s Dilemma
“I believe that all medical studies are flawed if they do not consider the emotional factor.” Dr. John Sarno I’ve often felt that I was born in the wrong era. On the one hand, I probably would not have survived childbirth had I lived in a past century, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t…
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Nothing Is Wrong With Your Brain
I have been thinking lately about the ways people flip that switch that starts their recovery from CRPS. A reader reached out to me about a year and a half ago. He is a professional musician, so when his hand was injured in the accident and he developed CRPS as a result, he was devastated.…
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Advice For The Caregivers
I was recently asked what advice I can give to those who take care of their loved ones with CRPS. I asked several people who are suffering from very debilitating cases of CRPS or fibromyalgia and are pursuing a mindbody healing path. This is what they suggested: Let me summarize it. Many CRPS patients often…
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The Trying Trap
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein The daily fashion conundrum I faced as a high schooler, was that of desperately trying to look as if I wasn’t trying. This was especially tricky to achieve in an era defined by the ethos of “more is…
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Anger
Our polite society views anger as an unacceptable emotion. One CRPS patient kept reassuring me that he was not an angry person – until he started sharing stories about getting angry, without even realizing that he was, in fact, very angry! I could sense his anger as he described his experiences, but he was unaware…
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Solitude to Certitude
Figure in the fog. Darkness and shadows surround. Thoughts of solitude. I wrote this haiku at the age of 12, during my crucible of the atavistically brutal hellscape, most commonly known as middle school. In 1980, bullying as a term, was not in the societal parlance, nor did it occur to me to seek…
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Humor Is A Painkiller!
“I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.” – Bob Hope Well, CRPS, like every chronic pain, is not a laughing matter. When relentless pain drains all of your reserves of strength and patience, it is very hard to joke around. However, I suggest…
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Catastrophic Thinking
Recently, I came across this interesting article that is not CRPS-specific, but still very relevant. “Catastrophic Thinking (aka catastrophizing) refers to a cognitive distortion where a person exaggerates the potential negative consequences of a situation or event, believing that the worst possible outcome will occur”. It is closely related to anxiety. Guess what, turns out that…
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Holiday Woes?
A couple of chronic pain sufferers who I know reported elevated pain levels and other symptoms during the holiday season. It seems counterintuitive, but for some this festive time of the year brings about more stress and anxiety. Does anybody else have the same problem? Even such a pleasureful activity as gift-giving can increase your…