Explore mental illness, its common symptoms, causes, and treatment options. Learn how to support mental health and seek help when needed.
Chronic pain patients need better options, not just fewer opioids. It started as a dull ache right above the base of my spine. There was no injury, no clear cause — just pain that seemed to come out of nowhere. At the time, I thought it would go away in a few weeks. I didn’t know it would turn into a four-and-a-half-year-and-counting odyssey of experimentation to battle lower back pain that simply refused to retreat.…
It’s 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night, and I’m in bed. With my husband and dogs right beside me. Nothing new here, and honestly, most of our friends are probably doing the same thing, but I really wouldn’t know. It wasn’t the diagnosis, or even the pain really, that caused me to start avoiding party invites and happy hour texts from my girlfriends. I don’t really remember when I started drifting so far away, but…
I didn’t ask for this and believe me, I don’t want it. I know you roll your eyes, even when you try and hide it. I know you think I’m exaggerating or being dramatic. But this is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. You’re used to seeing me work and cook, clean, walk, go shopping, and even out with friends. I don’t often complain because if I complained every time I was in pain, I…
To the man who stayed in my life when I asked him to leave. And today we are together since 18 years of marriage. I really don’t know how that happened. Sometimes it feels like we are the same as we were 25 years old. Sometimes it feels like we are like a team that unifies together. But today, since these 18 years we stand by in front of family and friends and made a…
The pain that remains consistent for almost three to six months is commonly known as chronic pain. This is a very common pain. Chronic pain affects millions of people every year. The pain affects various parts of the body like joints, head, back, or shoulders. The pain can have various patterns; sometimes a person can have various shapes of the pain and at times the pain exists in a similar manner. This random pattern makes it…
You might feel a little bit uneasy by the phase of “electroconvulsive therapy”. The mind goes to the days when medical science was not more scientific than it is today and patients were exposed to electric shocks to keep them submissive. Based on your pop culture image of electroconvulsive therapy, it does make sense that you don’t want to consider taking electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment. In popular imaginations, this ECT has really gotten up…
Stress is a complex, natural response to a perceived dangerous threat. When we feel stress, our bodies release extra adrenaline and cortisol, giving us the temporary ability to move faster, to think more quickly, and to react instinctively. When the threat goes away, our bodies return to a neutral state. This response is healthy and helpful. Chronic stress, on the other hand, can lead to huge changes in the body, including higher levels of pain.…
Sleep is as fundamental as eating. Without the right amount of sleep you can actually increase your risk of a variety of medical conditions, including increased pain. It might be surprising to hear that sleep can be responsible for various levels of chronic pain but it is essential to understand that without sleep your body can’t regenerate and renew the way nature intended. Here’s how sleep and pain are connected, as well as ten ways…
Part of getting older is a gradual slowing down. Far from the frantic pace of youth and middle age, many seniors have a unique opportunity to take their time in their daily activities. For some, injuries or chronic pain may require a slower pace, while other seniors may just want to be more intentional as they move about their day. Fortunately, chair yoga for seniors can accommodate not only the natural aging process but it…
Sleep is critical to your health and overall sense of wellbeing. But getting enough sleep may be easier said than done if you are experiencing nocturnal back pain. Chronic middle back pain while sleeping can disrupt your sleep enough to affect not just your nights, but yfour days as well. Keep reading for tips on how to manage or even eliminate middle back pain while sleeping. What causes middle back pain while sleeping? Your middle…