Seasonal Affective Disorder and what we can do about it
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, Fall is upon us with Winter quickly on its heels. The beginning of Fall is one of favorite times of the year...
Negative thinking is like a self-induced autoimmune disease that can make life miserable
I need to preface this article by saying that I am not equating an autoimmune disease with how we think. What I am saying is that the way we...
Be kind to your pain. It’s crying for your attention
I have lived with chronic pain from a neurological movement disorder called dystonia for over 20 years. Chronic pain does not follow any rules, and after multiple beatings, we can lose...
Another painful reminder how stress increases pain
The other day I had a water leak in one of my closets that needed immediate attention. While I was cleaning it up, I reached my arm a certain...
Understanding and improving our stress response to reduce pain and suffering
Having lived with chronic pain from dystonia for over 20 years, I spent most of that time focused on treating the physical symptoms. This has been very important and...
How we can relate more effectively to our pain
If you live with any form of pain, I’m hoping the following information will be of help. Many of us look at pain the wrong way that exacerbates our...
They Don’t Know What They Don’t Know: Learning to Manage Judgement and Criticism from Others When Living with a Chronic and Debilitating Condition
In my last blog, I talked about the difficulty being understood by others when living with a chronic health condition and the challenges that come with it. You can...
“I understand, but I also don’t understand” – A message to everyone about chronic health issues
A few days before a recent family gathering, I had a flare up in pain and other symptoms of dystonia that prevented me from attending. One of my relatives...
What’s the best thing we can do when we are in pain?
In a word, nothing. In two words, don’t panic. In two other words that are the same but are more positive and action oriented…be calm. Let me explain…when we...
How photography helps take my mind off my pain from dystonia
I have lived with dystonia (a neurological movement disorder) and chronic pain for over 20 years. The very active life prior to dystonia is night and day compared to...
How do we move beyond pain and suffering?
We have all at one time or another experienced pain and suffering of some kind. I sure have, living with dystonia for over 20 years, the first 5 of...
How resilient are you? Probably more than you think and give yourself credit
Having lived with chronic pain and involuntary muscle contractions from a neurological movement disorder called dystonia since 2001, I felt defeated many times. But I am still here battling...
Managing an overly stimulating environment to protect our health
The other day I read a post in a dystonia support group that is similar to something I see and hear very often. I’m sure you have as well,...
