Beyond the Pain

I belong to an online group for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered professionals.

For what it’s worth I think I’m the only so-called straight person there.

Recently, I asked about the whole "coming out" issue. "Why", I asked, "is there such a big foo fra when a celebrity comes out?"

The answer can be summed up this way: "Those who are GLBT suffer a great deal from suppressing who they are. Coming out, both frees them and sets a pattern or model for those who are still trapped in pain. Pain? Yes, pain: psychic, emotional, spiritual, and physical because they keep all that SHIT inside."

Coming out by celebrities validates the whole notion that it’s OKAY to let people know who you really are.

It occured to me then that many of us have issues with COMING OUT.

For example, in the late 80s and early 90s I suffered with stress and angst around COMING OUT as a "Recovering Fundamentalist".

Now, I want to formally annouce my COMING OUT as a the adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

There! I said it!!

Feels good.

More to come (pardon the pun).

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.