How to get Help in a Trigeminal Neuralgia Emergency

Despite taking medication correctly, trigeminal neuralgia can sometimes flare to unbearable levels. Things that normally help, like heat pads and cool packs, might not work. Sufferers use coping techniques like breathing, relaxation and distraction, but the pain still soars. They haven't been able to eat, drink or sleep for days. They struggle to cope. They …

How To Cope When You Are Feeling Judged

People who live with chronic pain or a chronic illness are often put under scrutiny. Most have felt judged at some time in their lives. Being Judged is Demoralising Friends, families, colleagues, doctors, social security and even strangers can all be guilty of judging people who live with chronic pain or illness. It's not helpful …

How to be Positive When Living With Pain

It can be extremely difficult living with chronic pain. It's very easy to become down and despondent at times and focus only on the negativity of the situation. Can Positivity Help Pain? We need to be honest about our pain and say how we feel at times. But can being more positive actually help our …

Eating and Cooking Tips For People With Pain Or Illness

It is so important for people to eat well, but especially so when living with a health condition. Food is Fuel For Our Bodies The medical advice is to to have a varied diet with a wide range of nutrients. Food is like fuel, providing us with energy and helping our bodies work to the …

What is Life Like with Chronic Pain?

If you read my distractions post, you'll know I'm keen on A - Zs, so I decided to make an A - Z to describe life with chronic pain. Counteracting Negatives with Positives Part way through, I realised that the A - Z was quite negative, and since I prefer a positive outlook I tried …

Writing About Your Pain Or Illness Can Be Helpful

I first started writing after retiring from work due to my health when I was 28. I enjoyed it. It was a good distraction. I wrote poems and stories which took me to another world away from my pain. A couple of poems were published in anthologies and some others were published in newspapers. My …

Chronic Pain is Unpredictable, Just Like Scottish Weather

Spring is upon us. At least, it should be. I live in the hills of the Scottish Borders and because we sit quite high (1150 feet above sea level), Spring always comes to us a little bit later than elsewhere. Even just a few miles down the valley, we notice daffodils blooming, while ours are …

Ill Health Retirement After Years of Struggling to Work

Very often, people with ill health or disability struggle to work and have to face early retirement. It’s not a decision that anyone takes lightly. My Own Struggle I had to take early retirement through ill health 25 years ago, in 1994.I didn't want to take sick leave due to my pain, but at the …

Feeling Like A Failure Was One of My Failings

If someone is well off, has a fancy car and a five bedroomed house in a nice area, they're considered successful. If they have fulfilled their hopes and dreams, they're considered successful. Qualifications, careers, acquired wealth, sporting victories and acting awards can all measure a person's success. But when people live with chronic pain or …

20 Ways to Try to Distract Yourself From Pain

Very often we need to learn coping skills when living with chronic pain. One coping skill which should never be overlooked is distraction. Finding a distraction is so important. Depending on pain levels, I might not manage to spend twenty minutes painting, but I might be able to enjoy watching a favourite television show. My …