Beyond the Pain

Abe Maslow,
famous for his Hierarchy of
Needs, defined our ultimate need: Self Actualization as follows, “Being free of the good opinion of others!”

I like that phrasing.

People – well meaning, caring – people are always suggesting
– sometimes pushing ‘cures’ at me!

Look folks! I know you think you have the answer.

And, maybe you do.

But, god damn it! This is my freaking life.

And, I will resist your good intentions.

It’s not that I don’t want help.

It’s that I have lived with this mofo condition for 11
bloody years now.

And, fixing the freaking thing is MY responsibility.

And, I will do it at MY pace!

And, My way!

So, when you suggest that I should:

· Start taking massive doses of Vitamin Z,

· Get Rolfed,

· Or Whatever….

I will Thank You. Take note.

And, give it shot when I’m bloody well ready to.

Not before.

And, maybe never!

Got it?

I want to start with the obvious . . . the physical aspects of pain . . .

and ways to heal that pain.

The basics: We are wired to FEEL pain. Why? To protect us.

We touch the hot stove. We HURT! We pull away. Phew! No, more burny.

But, what the heck do you do when there is no apparent cause for the pain?

This is the case for folks like me who suffer from Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and other dis-eases.

So, what’s a person to do.

When I was diagnosed I was told, "Well, there’s not much I can do for you!" That by an Internal Medicine Specialist.

That’s when an 11 year — and counting — journey of research and experimentation began.

Here’s 3 strategies I practice daily:

1. Walking
2. Stretching
3. Relaxation

More on it’s way.