September is Chronic Pain Awareness Month! As a therapist/social worker, and a someone who lives with chronic pain, September is my new favorite month. Some of us (and/or our loved ones) are dealing with Chronic Pain and/or disability on a daily basis. Sadly, our pain does not end come October 1. I had an […]
Read More »Welcome to “Living With Chronic Pain!” As a new blogger at PsychCentral, I wanted to take a beat to properly introduce myself and tell you a little bit about how I became a Chronic Pain blogger. First and foremost, I must say that it is an honor to be writing for PsychCentral…as a Licensed Social […]
Read More »There are many transitions that we go through in the course of our lives. Some are good, like going off to college and gaining independence, getting married, getting a new job or having children. Others are harder to deal with, like becoming ill, dealing with chronic pain or having a disability. The following are “common” […]
Read More »Living with chronic pain is one of the most difficult things a person can do in this life. Whether young or old, waking up every day to a life filled with physical pain can bring on a whole range of emotions — hopelessness, depression, and more. Living with chronic pain is something nobody should ever […]
Read More »Sex and chronic pain are not exactly synonymous. And talking about the effect of chronic pain on one’s sex life and intimate relationship is what you might call a “hush, hush” or taboo topic. However, many people living with chronic pain may feel alone, confused or even embarrassed by the issues that pain has […]
Read More »“The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.” (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross) I have spoken a lot about the last two years of my life because of the back surgeries and chronic pain, but there were 31 years […]
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In the past 2 years I have had the misfortune of dealing with doctors who have left me feeling like a drug addict trying to get my fix due to the stigma attached to taking opioids for pain. I have felt the judgment, been grilled by pain management doctors about my behavior and use […]
“Thank You.” Why is that so hard to say? Why is a compliment so hard to accept? I have never been great at taking a compliment, but since my surgeries, I am even less able to simply say, “Thank you.” I have difficulty taking credit for my accomplishments and yet find it astonishingly easy to […]
