The Loneliness Of Chronic Pain: Breaking The Cycle Of Isolation
You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone when you live with chronic pain. You might be sitting at a family dinner, responding to messages from friends, or showing up to work every day, yet inside there is a quiet sense of separation that is hard to explain. This experience is extremely […]
Why Therapists Should Ask About Sleep And What You Should Share
When you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or trauma, sleep problems often come with the territory. But here’s what many people don’t realize: poor sleep doesn’t just accompany mental health challenges, it can actually make them worse. Your therapist routinely asks about mood, relationships, stress levels, and coping strategies. These are essential areas to explore. But […]
Does Cold Weather Make Chronic Pain Worse in Winter? Here’s What the Science Says
If you live with chronic pain, you may have said something like this before:“I can feel a storm coming because my pain flares.” Many people notice that their pain seems to intensify as temperatures drop. Joints ache more. Muscles feel tighter. Fatigue sets in earlier. It can feel as if winter itself is causing the […]
Sleep After the Holidays: How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm (Without the Pressure)
If you’re lying awake at 2 a.m., exhausted but wired, wondering why can’t I sleep after the holidays, you’re not alone. Every January, we hear the same concern in therapy sessions at DC Metro Therapy:“I was sleeping fine before December, and now my body feels completely off.” Between family stress, travel, late nights, and disrupted […]
DC Metro Therapy’s Favorite Resources for Sleep & Chronic Pain (End-of-Year Guide)
As the year winds down, many of us start reflecting on what we’ve been carrying, both physically and emotionally. Maybe it’s the shoulder tension that never quite goes away. Maybe it’s the sleep you keep meaning to fix. Or maybe it’s the fatigue that always seems to show up during stressful seasons. When you’re dealing […]
Living With Chronic Pain? How to Survive Holidays When Your Family Doesn’t Understand
The holidays are supposed to be about connection. But when you’re living with chronic pain, they become a masterclass in pretending you’re okay when really, you’re struggling. Chances are you know this script by heart: the dismissive comments (‘you look fine!’), the pressure to participate fully, the guilt when you need to leave early. Again. […]
How Sleep Restriction Therapy Can Help Treat Depression
What if your therapist told you that spending less time in bed could help your depression? It might sound counterintuitive, especially when exhaustion already feels crushing. But for many people struggling with both insomnia and depression, it’s true. When depression and insomnia coexist, long nights of lying awake become fertile ground for rumination. You replay […]
Why ‘Just Relax’ Is the Worst Advice for Holiday Anxiety (Try This Instead)
Do family gatherings make you feel anxious? You’re at a get-together, heart racing, palms sweating. A well-meaning family member notices and says, “Just relax! It’s Thanksgiving!” Instantly, you feel worse. Now you’re anxious and ashamed that you can’t just “snap out of it.” “Just relax” might be the most common (and most harmful) advice given […]
What Your Brain Is Really Doing During Nightmares—And How Nightmare Therapy Can Change the Script
Another night, another nightmare. You’re exhausted, but you dread going to bed because you never know if tonight will bring another dream that jolts you awake—heart racing, sheets damp, afraid to fall back asleep. While everyone else sleeps, you’re stuck in a loop that leaves you tired, tense, and wondering why your brain keeps replaying […]
Here’s Why Your Sleep Gets Worse in Fall (And What to Do About It)
It’s 5 PM on a Tuesday in October and you can barely keep your eyes open. By 10 PM, when you finally crawl into bed, you’re wide awake. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with sleep when the seasons shift. As a therapist who specializes in sleep, I see this happen […]