Because of the opioid epidemic chronic pain is something of a hot topic these days. However, in these discussions the lives of people who live in constant pain are often overlooked. This is because the medical system is set up to fail people with chronic pain. Here’s just some of the ways the medical system…Continue reading How the medical system fails people with chronic pain
Category: Mental Health
How to deal with people who don’t believe you’re sick
One of the hardest parts of living with an illness is the emotional toll it takes when people don’t believe you’re sick. It’s hurtful when people think you’re faking, exaggerating, wimpy, or just need to take antidepressants. This is compounded when you have an invisible illness and people are always telling you, “but you don’t…Continue reading How to deal with people who don’t believe you’re sick
Surviving the hurt and pain that comes with chronic illness
Hurt and pain come with chronic illness. It’s that old feeling of never being right, of never being enough. It creeps on you in the middle of the night. It creeps on you in the middle of a difficult flare. It creeps on you when you let your guard down and let yourself feel for…Continue reading Surviving the hurt and pain that comes with chronic illness
What the pain acceptance movement misses about chronic pain
Anyone who lives with chronic pain is aware of the backlash against opioids for chronic pain and the treatment of pain in general. This backlash has emerged because of the so-called “opioid crisis” which puts the blame on people in pain instead of the dangerous illegal drugs on the street. Some doctors are now taking patients…Continue reading What the pain acceptance movement misses about chronic pain
5 gifts people with chronic pain really want this year
I’ve already shared by 2017 Chronic Illness Gift Guide, but there are so many non material gifts that people with chronic illness really wish they could receive. 1. To be taken seriously Having a chronic illness is not only difficult physically, it’s difficult emotionally. Many people with chronic illness are accused of faking by their…Continue reading 5 gifts people with chronic pain really want this year
People with chronic pain did not cause the opioid epidemic
Chronic pain did not cause the opioid epidemic. So many people are uncomfortable with how often I address the “opioid epidemic” and how it hurts people with chronic pain. It’s just so easy to blame marginalized populations for complicated problems because they don’t have the resources to fight back. The myth of health as a…Continue reading People with chronic pain did not cause the opioid epidemic
5 questions to ask yourself before you say yes
Learning to say no is one of the most difficult parts of living with a chronic illness. No one wants to be considered selfish and uncaring because they never help out a friend or a family member, but when your body has limitations you cannot do everything that is asked of you. It’s especially difficult…Continue reading 5 questions to ask yourself before you say yes
7 simple ways to distract yourself from pain
With the constant hysteria about the “opioid epidemic” getting treatment for chronic pain is getting more and more difficult. Often people in pain are accused of being drug seekers and told they just need to get over their pain. Of course, those of us who have experienced pain know that there are no easy answers.…Continue reading 7 simple ways to distract yourself from pain
The 4 biggest lies you’ll hear about life with chronic illness
So much of what you hear about chronic illness is lies or obfuscation. You’re constantly being hit with all this information, and not all of it is accurate. You’ll hear things from doctors, friends, family, and even other people with chronic illnesses that just aren’t true. Here are the lies I’ve heard the most. 1.…Continue reading The 4 biggest lies you’ll hear about life with chronic illness
What no one tells you about surviving a natural disaster with a chronic illness
No one ever told me how to live through a natural disaster with chronic illness. For those who don’t follow my Facebook page, I live in Texas on the gulf coast and we were just hit by a hurricane. It made landfall hundreds of miles away, but it caused a lot of rain and I…Continue reading What no one tells you about surviving a natural disaster with a chronic illness