The Chronic Pain Diaries

Let me say something that might feel uncomfortable at first. The elimination diet you’ve been following so carefully — the one where you interrogate every ingredient, avoid entire food groups, and feel a wave of anxiety every time you eat something “off the list” — might actually be making your chronic pain worse. Not because […]

Here’s the honest truth: your perfectionism might be slowing down your healing. You’re a high-achiever. You follow protocols to the letter. You show up for every appointment, track every symptom, and do everything your doctors or coaches suggest. You’re the “perfect patient,” the one who never misses a step and always looks like she has […]

That glass of wine isn’t actually helping your chronic pain the way you hope it is. It’s quietly making things harder on your body. I know that’s a tough thing to hear, especially if that glass (or two, or three) feels like the only thing that gives you a moment of relief. It turns the […]

Here’s something I wish someone had told you sooner: sometimes your body can be doing okay on paper, but your nervous system is still acting like the danger is happening now. And I get it. If you’ve heard “mind-body” before, it may have sounded like woo-woo or like someone was minimizing what you’re going through. […]