Nature versus nurture when it comes to chronic pain and illness
If you live with a health condition, as I do with a chronic movement disorder called dystonia which is accompanied by pain, I have to be very careful how...
How to choose better for ourselves when we are suffering
If you have dystonia and chronic pain like I do, or one of many other thousands of health conditions, or just dealing with some tough life situations, you are...
Try as we may, we can’t hide from our pain forever
Human beings are wired to run away from things that are painful and difficult. I sure as heck did the first 5 years of my dystonia diagnosis. It often...
Slow down to manage your pain
How many of you find yourself rushing around and it’s causing you stress and pain? And if you already have pain, does it add to your pain? Are you...
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...
My typical day managing my dystonia and chronic pain
I have lived with dystonia and chronic pain for 21 years. The first 5 of those years were the worst of my life. The pain from the involuntary muscle...
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...
Dealing with uncertainty in life and health: Sometimes trees fall on cars
Even when we think we are fully prepared for something, life can throw us a surprise. If you have followed my blogs over the years, this one may sound...
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...
The power of words and judgments on our health
I have lived with a neurological movement disorder called dystonia for 20 years. For the first 5 or so years, I looked at it as an evil intruder that...
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....
