Embrace the suck of life
Most of us are familiar with the Latin term, carpe diem, which means “seize the day.” This phrase became especially popular in the movie Dead Poets Society with the...
Are you turning your gizmo into a gremlin? Understanding and managing anxiety
When I think of anxiety, I think of the movie, Gremlins (1984). For those of you who have seen this movie, you know that feeding a gremlin after midnight...
NEW BOOK RELEASE — Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges
In 2015, I published my first book, Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey. It is a combination autobiography, self-help, education book that provides treatment options, coping strategies, skills for daily...
Be careful about being too hard on yourself if you live with a health condition that already kicks your ass
Dystonia and chronic pain, as well as many other health conditions, remind me of bullies that pick on kids in the schoolyard every day. Like the bully, dystonia and...
A tool for practicing gratitude
Many of us recently celebrated Thanksgiving, a time to reflect upon things for which we are thankful. It is a time to really focus on gratitude, which got me...
Replacement activities when living with pain
I have lived with chronic pain from dystonia, a neurological movement disorder, for nearly 20 years. The first 5 years my symptoms were so severe that I was barely...
Campaigning for less stress
This is the time of the year when the gloves come off, friends become enemies, logic and reason are replaced by emotion and impulse, and stress is extremely heightened....
Interview – Managing the physical and emotional aspects of dystonia and pain
I was recently interviewed by Matthieu Creson for AMADYS, the French Dystonia Association, to share my experience living with dystonia for nearly 20 years, as well as my thoughts...
The power of perspective when living with pain
People often tell me how upbeat and positive I am, despite living with pain from dystonia all day, every day for the last 20 years. I would say this...
A mindfulness technique to find peace from stress and pain
The other day I was speaking with a client of mine who suffers with a chronic health condition called dystonia, which is accompanied by chronic pain. I also live...
How to find stillness in your life
If you are like me and probably most people, in today’s busy world it is a big challenge to be still and mentally at ease. This is such an...
Please don’t judge how a person feels based on how they look
Human beings are visual creatures, so we often associate how someone feels based on how they look and act. Sadly, this is very short sighted. Many people live with...
What do you do when you feel out of control?
How many of you feel as though you are in control of your life? I would guess probably not too many. However, I bet a great majority of us...
