EMDR therapy is a technique that was developed to help people recover after trauma. By usingeye movements or other bilateral stimulation (or back-and-forth movements), while thinkingabout something distressing, our experience of the trauma shifts. EMDR therapy is now widelyused and is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD and other conditions. Research shows that EMDR can lessen the impact of symptoms of … Read More
Mindfulness Strategies to Practice for Better Health
Incorporating mindful strategies can improve chronic pain and insomnia Mindfulness is defined as paying attention to the current moment. It’s a state of observing one’s own thoughts and feelings without passing judgment on them. To help visualize this, picture yourself as a mountain, sitting tall and wide. Clouds passing through you but never taking your attention. When it comes to … Read More
How to heal your mind from the anxieties of developing Long-COVID
Long COVID or long-haul COVID is a condition marked by long-term repercussions that persist or develop after the normal COVID-19 convalescence phase. This has become an epidemic in and of itself, with millions of Americans suffering from worsening symptoms daily. According to Pennsylvania State research, more than half of COVID-19 survivors experience lingering symptoms six months after recovery. “These findings … Read More
Stress Dreams vs. Nightmares
What is the difference and what you can do about them Most people tend to assume that any “bad dream” is a nightmare. It’s a little bit more complicated. Stress dreams and nightmares are both the result of an excessive degree of stress. They both manifest based on negative emotions such as grief, fear, loss, stress, and helplessness. What separates … Read More
Which Came First, the Chronic Pain or the Depression?
Breaking down the relationship between negative feelings and chronic pain Many people suffering from invisible illnesses are initially misdiagnosed as having depression. Although this is concerning, it is understandable given the symptoms of these chronic illnesses overlap with conditions often associated with depression. Depression and anxiety have been reported to be more prevalent in chronic pain patients than in the … Read More
The Top 3 Habits for Falling and Staying Asleep
If you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep or not sleeping as deeply as you’d like to, it might be time to reconsider your sleep habits. If you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, your thoughts and behaviors around sleep can certainly contribute to insomnia. Learning about good sleep habits can go a long way toward helping you … Read More
Laughter might really be the best medicine: How rewiring your brain can help sufferers of chronic pain find relief
If you’ve been online recently, you’ve seen a new wave of positive thinking. It doesn’t sound too bad, right? But there is a point where being continuously told to put a positive spin on all your experiences can become toxic. A person telling you to just “think positive” and “change your attitude” doesn’t help the way they think it does. … Read More
Personality Traits That Can Lead to Chronic Pain
Most people don’t typically associate personality traits with pain. However, the two go hand-in-hand more than you might realize, especially when you’re dealing with chronic pain. While personality traits aren’t always predictors of pain, certain ones may trigger the “fight-or-flight” response in your brain more heavily than others. That results in the amygdala over-firing, causing your body to experience higher … Read More
How to Get Out of an Anxiety Spiral and Take Back Control
Anxiety is the most common mental health issue in the world, yet it can impact everyone differently. For some, however, anxiety can often feel like it’s “in control,” causing your life to spiral and making you live in constant worry or fear. It can lead to chronic pain, insomnia, or even make symptoms of trauma worse. When you’re met with … Read More
Breaking the Cycle of Insomnia and Chronic Pain
Chronic pain comes with so many more issues than most people realize. Aside from the pain itself, it can cause mental health problems, weakness, and even contribute to insomnia. In fact, 1 in 4 people with chronic pain also has a sleep disorder. Chronic pain and insomnia seem to go hand in hand. You may have struggled to find effective … Read More