In 2010, I am going to add a new category to my daily TO-DO list, “What Have You Done for Yourself Today.” All the other items on the list depend on me being nourished, flexible, focused and feeling good. Why is it that my list rarely focuses on what I need to do for myself? So rather than feeling good about checking off the usual to-do’s, I am going to re-frame my thinking and be conscious of the ways I have spent time replenishing my physical, spiritual, creative and emotional needs.

I can hear the Staple Singers song “Respect Yourself” playing in my head.

Do you have any new ways you will be reframing your thoughts in the New Year?

Blessings, Mary

Are you looking forward to the new year ahead? Not everyone is feeling a sense of hope, in fact, some are only able to feel dread, possibly worse, not much of anything, numbness… no sense of hope, no sense of “good things to come”. For those suffering from depression, New Year’s Day may be another reminder of the days of hardship they feel are to come.

I am blessed that in this moment I feel hopeful, nothing is more precious to me than hope. When it is lacking, the world feels bleak, dark, and filled with sadness. When I have even a tiny morsel of hope, I can make it through just about anything. So can you.

One thing I have learned, my mood changes, my circumstances change, nothing is ever as permanent as I think it is. (I do forget this at times, hence my most recent post “Teetering Too Close to Depression“. The world is constantly in a process of change and when it feels as if nothing will ever get better, we often have to hold on a little bit longer and it will. Of coarse, putting forth effort of our own to create better health and happiness is even better than waiting, but sometimes it’s all we can do just to hold on.

If you are looking for hope in 2011, I want you to know that it is there. If you know it, and see it, then share it with others! If you are unable to see it right now, then please, hold on.

Last year I was way more than eager to bid 2009 a not-so-fond farewell. It was a hard year that tested me greatly, where I seemed to have lost more footing than I had gained.

Thankfully 2010 had a few more positives. The biggest positive of all was that I started to earn my living doing what I love to do, utilizing the talent I hope to someday capitalize upon in a much bigger, more creative way.

I’ve managed to “crush it,” and further define “my brand.” I created a fan page on Facebook which has already gained 77 followers, which I hope to double by the end of next year. I just have to be more active in the community and produce more quality content, and so far health issues have prevented me from doing either the way I need to do them.

Health-wise I’m still a mess regarding chronic pain, but it’s really my own fault because of a lack of exercise. I go full throttle for a few weeks then have a physical setback then remain fearfully sedentary to avoid further setbacks… which only means I get stiffer and more pain-riddled.

It’s a bitter, endless cycle.

I can only push my body as far as it’s willing to go, but I see the pattern of my being too easy on myself when I should push through some of these obstacles, no matter how little ground I gain.

The problem is I can’t do it like I would normally do it, so I don’t know how to amend my expectations. If I do one mile one week, I want to do two miles the following week, and three miles the week after that. If I’m not doing more, I’m not doing enough. Because let’s face it… it’s never enough as long as I’m still fat.

So crazy me I stop doing anything out of frustration and pain… which only leads to more frustration and pain.

Therefore I’m fully aware to blame that backward step wholly on myself.

(Not only must this change but it can change, and the power to do so is totally within my capability.)

I feel like I did make some huge strides in my overall health regarding my approach to food. Breaking the bonds with sugar and dairy, even if I did backslide and heave myself headlong into their influence, made me see how easy and fun it could be to adhere to a more cruelty-free diet. Not just on the animals I wasn’t eating, but on myself as well.

The changes in my body, though it hasn’t been the massive weight loss I wanted to achieve by this particular date, are undeniable.

I figure the diet, with a few modifications, can easily be followed again in the upcoming months. It will essentially be dairy-free, sugar-free, but with allowances for eggs and fish… and allowances for living in general. It doesn’t mean I can’t ever have dairy or sugar, I just have to be aware that they are highly addictive and can derail my progress if I don’t keep them firmly under control.

Moderation. Not deprivation.

By fearing to take one bite because I just “knew” I’d go back to eating it so indiscriminately, I ended up giving it too much power over me… and made it a self-fulfilling prophesy.

This too was my fault, and completely within my power to change.

I’ve made a lot of emotional progress this year thanks to the blog especially. I’ve learned where a lot of my triggers were, including many of the ones that keep me the size I am and the hermit I am. I’ve gone through some bitter trials by fire where I was tested on my basic trigger issues such as rejection and abandonment. Truth be told I’m not sure which came first, the dietary backslide or the emotional turmoil, but they definitely fed off of each other making the other one worse. This is my life cycle, and now that I’m aware of it, I know it can be broken.

I’m also self-aware enough to know that I, alone, cannot break it. I need help, and I need to stop being afraid to ask for it. This will come into play in the “resolutions” section of our program.

I think the biggest positive this year, even though it was the most painful lesson to learn, was figuring out what I’m willing to put up with just to be loved or accepted. I finally realized that I don’t have to lose myself in the expectations of another just to be worthy of their love or affection. This was especially true with my family.

I’ve long believed that I wasn’t “good enough,” that I had to work for acceptance because just being me wasn’t enough. It’s made me give away my power to everyone just so they wouldn’t reject me and ultimately abandon me. I let everyone else determine my value, while I carried the unnecessary baggage of their expectations of what I should do or who I should be.

Because of that, I internalized the negative stuff and let that define me. Everyone else got to decide if I mattered, because I couldn’t quite figure out that I matter “just cuz.” That’s why attention, and especially the lack thereof, has kept me on a sadistic merry-go-round of self-deprecation pretty much all year.

It wasn’t that people didn’t meet my expectations of how I needed to be treated, it’s that I gave too much power to being treated anyway at all.

These were very painful lessons to learn and quite honestly I’m still struggling with them. I have been figuratively scorched by these long-lasting patterns, so much so I am way too sensitive to slights – real or perceived – from new relationships where I don’t feel I’ve yet been able to create acceptable boundaries (which is why outside help is required.)

The good news is, I’ve learned exactly how much of myself I’m willing to let go now in order to have certain relationships… and I’ve been able to sever the ones where I had no hopes whatsoever of getting an honest connection in return.

Anyone who knows me knows this is *huge.*

Overall 2010 showed me in no uncertain terms what works and what doesn’t, and how so much of it is connected.

That’s why one resolution isn’t going to cut it. They all have to work together, like a well-oiled machine.

Because there are so many I feel a bit intimidated, as if I know I’m putting too much on my plate and some things are just naturally going to fall through the cracks.

That’s why one of the most important resolutions is to keep my eye on the bigger picture. Looking back I can say that I didn’t do all the things I wanted to do this year. But that doesn’t invalidate the year, nor take away from the major accomplishments I did pull off – which I think are pretty darned impressive in the whole scheme of things.

Not being able to check everything off neatly at this time next year won’t make me a failure. The most important thing is that I learned as much from the setbacks as I did from the successes.

Which I kinda think was the theme of 2010.

Progress. Not perfection.

So here are the goals for 2011, in no particular order.

HEALTH

Make healthier choices in my diet. No restrictive diet, aside from portion control, is required; I already know what works and what doesn’t.

Gently push myself just an increment more than I did the day before. True lasting progress is in the extra little effort you build off of day by day. I may can only walk around my apartment for five minutes to start with, to condition my body to be more active and more mobile. The next day, just walk a few steps more.

One degree can make all the difference.

I’m also going to get back to a natural approach with managing my pain, from the food I eat to the way I treat my body. This will include an introduction to things like acupuncture, although I should say here I’m quite apprehensive about it. Which is kinda why I’ve put it off for four years.

Rediscover what I love about food – the sheer creativity of finding healthier ways to eat. This will include a weekly (or at least semi-regular) podcast where I talk about what recipe I’m trying for the week, and what vegetable I’m learning how to love in a new way. I’m actually kind of excited about it, I have ten or so recipes already archived and hope to start no later than this coming week. This will likely coincide with Meatless Mondays, and will get more advanced as I get more comfortable in the medium.

This will help me “crush it” with my

CAREER

I have so many things I want to do in this section I’m almost afraid to list them all. But here goes.

1. Write more, especially screenplays. This year I aim to finish one feature length screenplay and a complete series of hour-long scripts for a TV drama. That’s roughly 13 with a Bible and hopefully synopses for following seasons.

2. Read more, dividing my time between classic novels and screenplays. I’m tackling the 100 Books to Read Before You Die list, as I’m almost shamefully under-read. I won’t even tell you how many of these books I have read, but suffice it to say it’s in the single digits. I realize some are going to be easier than others, but like Stephen King says if you want to be a writer you do two things: read, read, read and write, write, write.

3. Get my work out there. Stop tinkering around trying to make it perfect and just trust my talent. I don’t need any other validation than that. I have something of value to sell, I just need to actually believe in it enough to sell it. (this is the scariest part of the business for me, which is why I’m stuck at the almost-sold level.)

4. Network. Because I’ve never mastered #3, part of me feels like a huge phony who would fall apart amidst the very people whose ranks I wish to join. I have zero self-confidence, only because I’ve never *really* put myself out there and tried to test the waters to see if I can swim. And ridiculously I have had plenty of validation to do so, even with a stack of rejection letters just like every other writer in the world, but because *I* don’t quite believe I have what it takes, nothing has ever been good enough and will always believe the worst. Which is why #5 has sent me into panic attacks for the past week and a half.

5. Move to California to really give my writing career a chance. *shudder* This will include making and saving money, neither of which have been my strong suit as of late, in an epic way heretofore unrealized in my own life up to this point.

But just because I *haven’t* done it doesn’t mean I *can’t.* At least that’s what I keep telling myself as I’m breathing in and out of a paper bag.

PERSONAL

I’m going to find a therapist where I can work through some of my trigger issues. I think we can decisively say what’s wrong with me, but I haven’t quite mastered what it takes to get past it. And I need to get past it. Nothing else will work in my life until I figure out how to stop responding to the problems of my past.

Like the old saying goes, keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

N’ I’m kinda over it, to be quite honest.

I’m also going to give myself more openly to my relationships. Most of the time I hold back, afraid of being hurt, and as a result have superficial relationships where I don’t completely trust anyone. Then I wonder why people can’t give themselves more wholeheartedly to me, and use that as an opportunity to beat myself up s’more. It’s all quite pointless, really. Relationships don’t work that way, and I miss out on good people in the meantime. So I need to stop worrying about what I’ll get in return – good or bad – and start striving for more genuine connections.

I just need to believe I’m worth it. And the only way to do that is to work hard on all the things I mentioned on this list of goals. With those achievements will come self-confidence.

So that’s it. I’m kinda scared but kinda excited too. I never thought, really, when I wrote a similar blog at the end of 2009 that I’d have made the progress toward my ultimate goals that I have.

So bring it on, 2011. Show me what you’ve got.

Happy New Year, everybody! <3

New year, new theme for my blog… and I am saying good riddance to 2010!! It has been one hell of a year! I am happy to see this one go, I must say. 2010 was a tough year and I am ready to move forward and start strong with 2011.

What do you remember most about 2010? This was a painful year for me… both physical and emotional. I felt the pain of fibromyalgia and the pain of losing loved ones, the pain of walking away from my house after 10 years, the emotional upheaval of changing companies after 20+ years…

It was also a year of celebration… my son turned 18, he graduated from high school and started college. My daughter is in middle school and is excelling in her academics and in soccer. They are both maturing and growing up and I am realizing that they are so independent. I am also seeing what traits they have taken from my husband and myself and it’s awesome and difficult at the same time to see. You always want only the best traits to be passed on, right? You know that’s not the way it always goes… you just pray that your children will listen and learn from your experiences. If not, they will learn on their own as you did yourself. I honestly get this, it hurts my heart to see it happening though. Many of you out there know what I am talking about. You are going through the same thing with your children.

As we enter 2011, my family just completed our annual project.

• What are your 10 most memorable moments of 2010?
• What are your 10 goals for 2011?

We take those and write them down and scrapbook them on a piece of 12×12 paper, frame them and put them up on the wall for the year. I will share mine (truth be told, mine is the only one that is still “almost” complete”), as I was saying, I will share mine with all of you when I finish it.

I highly recommend you sit down with your family and do something like this. If anything, it’s a great conversation.

I wanted to make sure I ended the year by saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  to all of you… you have all been fantastic supporters in my life.

Most important, if you take anything from my blog, take this… Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, depression, ADHD…. none of this defines you. You are defined by the values and beliefs and all the inner beauty inside you. Your pain is real. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

You deserve an awesome 2011. I’m praying you have one!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come back in 2011.

Stay cool.

Tamiko

***WARNING: SOME CONTENT IN THIS POST MAY BE TRIGGERING***

Somehow, I managed to make it through last night’s difficult events.  How?  Not sure.  It seemed as though time was an illusion, escaping me all too quickly.  One of the most notable events that triggered this episode, as it were, was a documentary I watched about some governmental conspiracies.  Being in a vulnerable state, I easily too such far too much to heart, in turn leading to paranoia and anxiety.  That’s where the copious amounts of Xanax came in.  I informed my parents of this situation.  Of course my mother demanded I give her the remainder of my Xanax, which I did, after strategically squirreling most of it away in an alternative location.  I also made her promise NOT to mention this incident to my doctors, citing such as being a violating of my patient rights.  I will leave messages for my doctors alerting them to the potential of receiving such messages, with strict instructions to ignore such, and will absolutely NOT give them permission to discuss this issue further with anyone else (yes, they need my permission, as I am an adult).

You’re probably wondering where the “suicide message” comes in.  Well, at around 3AM, I left my doctor/therapist two consecutive messages basically outlining what I had done (the OD), stating that I “might not make it through the night,” and that I “just wanted him to know” how I truly felt about him.  In my benzo-hazed stated, I believe I said (or rather slurred)  something resembling the following:

“I just wanted you to know how much I love you from the bottom of my heart no matter what.  It’s the truth.  I know I’ve said it before and you said I wouldn’t remember saying it, but I did, and I do.  I still love you very much, even though you blatantly refused to address or even acknowledge it.  I don’t blame you for what I’ve done; I know it’s not your fault.”

I was forced to leave two messages, which were both ultimately cut off due to their lengthiness.  I marked each as “urgent”.  Such was certainly not a means of manipulation.  I just wanted the truth to be heard once and for all (if those were to be the last words uttered/slurred from my lips).  The good news is I survived this, hopefully with a fresh perspective, and will now have the opportunity to discuss such with my doctor.  Clearly, as I’ve stated before through music, poetry, art, acting out, and other forms of writing, there are several unresolved issues at present.  Above all else, this will be my goal of 2011: to finally address the transferential dynamics in my psychotherapeutic relationship!   Happy New Year, everyone!  And from the bottom of my heart, thank you ALL for your care, concern, and support.  I truly don’t think I could’ve gotten through this without you all. *BIG hugs* <3

Well its been a bit since I have taken the time to post…Half the reason is because of Christmas the other half is because I have been down in my back for a week now…If its not bad enough Mr. Fibro enjoys causing me pain now this…lol But I am good and happy and full of smiles and can even laugh at the situation….Life is awesome!

I am hoping all of my Friends and fellow fibro peeps have made it through the Holidays with as little pain as possible and were able to enjoy the time with their family and friends

I think for me I have decided that 2011 is going to be a year of change and happiness and no more of the bad…out with the bad and only in with the good…I need happy times smiles and laughs…love and all that good stuff! So that is my resolution….We will keep our fingers crossed that I keep this one…It is the only way life should be!!! Not letting anyone or anything bring ya down!

I have learned a lot in 2010 about my Fibro and how it works…still not sure I understand it and for sure I know I dont like it…But I have learned to take it as it comes and I can handle even the worst pain and get through it somehow….so for me that is a lot! and I have made many new friends and learned to laugh a whole lot more….Family and friends are what makes life worth living!!!!!

Hoping you all keep smiling and have a wonderful and safe new year and dont do anything stupid!!!! (this more directed to the young ones) and just be SAFE….

God Bless and much love!

I guess it’s kind of a long story, but to get to the point, I’m not feeling stable.  As a result, I’ve taken more Xanax than I should have (and I’ve lost track of how much at this point.  I guess it all started this afternoon when I watched some documentaries about various conspiracy theories about the government, etc. (which I apparently took a little too seriously and started becoming rather paranoid and anxious.  I figured I’d counter such with copious amounts of Xanax.  I just hope I’m not headed for another overdose.  *sigh*  My mom already threatened to (and nearly called) an ambulance on me just now.  Whatever.  I told her the only way I’m leaving is if I pass out or she or someone else drives me to the hospital.  I feel like I can’t stop taking the pills (and not sure I even want to at this point).  I wouldn’t say I’m actively suicidal, yet I don’t know what I hope to gain from a hospitalization at this point.  *sigh*  I hope it’s not somehow related to my therapeutic relationship again.  Not really sure what to do at this point.  I kind of lost track of how much I’ve taken, as I said, but I feel like I can handle more (although one never knows).  I thought writing here might help.  I don’t know.  I wish my shrink was here.  I suppose I could page him (or have my mom help me with that).  I don’t want to go into respiratory arrest.  Whatever.  I honestly kind of welcome this feeling of calmness and serenity; a numbness to the world at large.  Maybe I’ll attempt to do some reflective writing at this point (I mean creatively, or some other creative endeavor).  Whatever.  This is bullshit.  I guess I’m being manipulatively BPD at the moment.  Is this a cry for help?  I don’t know anymore… :’(  I really don’t what to do…

Image via Wikipedia

Fibromyalgia is a little understood illness that still has the stigma of not being a real disease to many ignorant people and doctors.  However, people who do have fibromyalgia would argue that the reality of their life with fibromyalgia includes pain, stiffness, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.  As a recent patient told me “everything but my eyeballs hurt!”  I have also been told by patients that it feels like you have the flu…achy all over…but it never goes away!  Perhaps studies of the brain changes and chronic pain may help researchers and doctors better understand illnesses like fibromyalgia.  The latest research is suggesting that fibromyalgia has a connection with the central nervous system and is the result of a malfunction, or dysfunction, of the central nervous system.  A. Kuchinad and colleagues studied 10 women who had fibromyalgia and compared them with 10 women who did not have the illness. Among the women with fibromyalgia, Kuchinad’s team found a reduction in brain tissue that wasn’t found in the controls. This finding was backed up by yet another study not long after.  Other research has shown awake like brain activity in patients with Fibromyalgia when sleeping.  No REM sleep leads to the unrefreshed sleep common with the condition. 

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is another syndrome that has its skeptics.  There is no test for IBS (nor for fibromyalgia). Diseases that have no tests are diagnosed through exclusion. This means that doctors must do
tests to rule out all other possibilities and IBS is only diagnosed when all other illnesses are ruled out.  People with IBS experience pain and cramping, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. As with fibromyalgia, brain imaging of patients with IBS has found a loss in brain tissue and the patterns are very similar to fibromyalgia and other chronic pain issues.

So what is wrong with the central nervous system with people who are suffering with these mysterious conditions?

Frequently, an undetected head or neck injury that is affecting the brain is the cause.  A Brain Stem Subluxation causes pressure on the central nervous system at the level of the atlas (top bone in the neck).  When accidents and injuries tear loose the connective tissue that holds the spine together it will create a weakness and allow the spine to break down and lock into a stressed position.  The most vulnerable area of the body to trauma is the upper neck because it is the most movable area of the entire body.  If that top bone is misaligned it disrupts the function of the central nervous system.

I have seen hundreds of patients with brain stem subluxations in my practice and frequently it is an underlying cause of conditions like Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  For instance my patient who 3 months ago said that everything but her eyeballs hurt…reported today that 80 % of all the Fibromyalgia symptoms are gone!  This is a condition that she has struggled with for over 9 years and has seen a half a dozen different doctors. 

What has happened to her body?

Due to a head trauma that had occured earlier on in her life, her head and neck were significantly misaligned and that misalignment was causing pressure into the brain stem.  As the pressure has been removed her body has begun the healing process.  The longer that nervous system has been dysfunctional the longer it takes to heal.  But at 3 months she has already had a dramatic decrease in pain and stiffness, can sleep through the night and has near normal energy. 

Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have similar results.  As the nervous system begins sending the proper messages to the digestive system again…digestion frequently becomes normal.

So does this type of treatment help everyone with Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  Of course not!  Nothing is 100%.  But if you have had a head or neck trauma prior to the onset of the symptoms then Upper Cervical Chiropractic could be the answer.

Here is a quick way to see if you may be a candidate.  Postural problems are common with Upper Neck Misalignments.  So stand in front of a mirror and close your eyes.  Bring your head down and back up and then open your eyes.  Do you notice that your head is tilting to one side?  Are your shoulders level?  It is not definitive…but if you have a history of any type of head or neck trauma then the chances that you are a good candidate go up dramatically.  Sometimes it is difficult to remember head or neck traumas especially if they have been years or even decades earlier.  So here are some questions to ask yourself.  Have you had a concusssion?  Been knocked unconscious?  Had stitches to your head?

Most doctors will do a complimentary consultation to see if you are a candidate. 

Don’t give up hope…there is a cause behind every effect in the body. 

Just when you thought you checked everything…have you checked to see if your head is on straight?

Dr. William R. Davis Jr., D.C. is a Vista Chiropractor and Upper Cervical Specialist.  He is in private practice in Southern California in the city of Vista.  He specializes in correcting problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck).  This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems. More information can be found on his website at http://www.nuccawellness.com

So I haven’t really been sleeping lately. No matter how much I try to do everything the doctors tell me to do for insomnia; some how I find myself awake at 4 am staring at the ceiling with my skin on fire. Ok, so my skin is not literally on fire, there are no actual flames. But since I have Central Pain Syndrome, when I wake up at 4 am real flames or not, I feel like I’m being torched. (If you are nice and want to find out about CPS go here http://www.centralpain.org/. It will make me smile, and feel like people care about the world! ) I think I have less insomnia, then you know, fire demons that like to dance all over me  and keep me awake.

Usually  waking up like this results in one of two things happening, either I stumble around the bedroom for a few minutes at  time, trying to walk it off, and man up, or  I just give up, acknowledge that it’s going to be really bad, and retreat to the living room where I plan on marshaling my defenses.

That’s how I found myself the other night, tiptoeing down the stairs while Rich and the dogs where still asleep. I was wrapped in just my extra super soft brown blanket; that I save for when my skin feels like burning hot oil’s frying it. Don’t you just love my descriptions. Nice and gory and just like what it feels like! Anyway, I had managed to sneak out of the bedroom with out waking anyone up; which I was convinced was a minor miracle, since not only were the dogs in there but our cats Houdini and Bella as well.

I made my way downstairs to the fireplace, switched it on, and laid down in the pile of comforters. But I was shaking really bad from the pain, I find it kind of amusing when I get shaky, it’s like I could make a milk shake just by holding the glass. I decided to take some extra pain meds, and then a little more,  and after a while even a little more. My thinking being if I can handle this at home, it be so much better then at ER that will just fry me with the fluorescents, and make me sicker for another few weeks.

On top of the medicine, I was doing anything I could to simply distract myself from the pain. Watching reruns on Bravo, and trying desperately to focus on my new FAVORITE BLOG Hyperbole and a Half, which everyone needs to read right now! Or after you finish reading this post. It had helped distract me through a few other flare up’s, and I thought it would be a great idea.

Luckily after about an hour of waiting for the meds to kick in, and reading the same line over and over again, I started to feel a lovely light relaxation going through me. After a few minutes the burning was still there but honestly I couldn’t have cared less. As it worked it’s magic, I could finally follow what I was reading, and was cracking up like crazy. I will admit that the medicine may have made me relaxed enough to both start dozing while laughing, and maybe even to laugh laud enough to possibly wake up the dogs.  Who may in turn have woken up Rich. That being said, I don’t blame myself for my husband groggily descending the stairs at close to 6 am, with the most confused look on his face. He just stood there for a second as if he was coming to and then said “for someone who feels bed enough to go all the way downstairs, it sounds like your having a good time.”

And I was because of the pills and the funny!

It is now widely believed that pain affects men and women differently. While the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone certainly play a role in this phenomenon, psychology and culture, too, may account at least in part for differences in how men and women receive pain signals. For example, young children may learn to respond to pain based on how they are treated when they experience pain. Some children may be cuddled and comforted, while others may be encouraged to tough it out and to dismiss their pain. Many investigators are turning their attention to the study of gender differences and pain. Women, many experts now agree, recover more quickly from pain, seek help more quickly for their pain, and are less likely to allow pain to control their lives. They also are more likely to marshal a variety of resources-coping skills, support, and distraction-with which to deal with their pain. Research in this area is yielding fascinating results. For example, male experimental animals injected with estrogen, a female sex hormone, appear to have a lower tolerance for pain-that is, the addition of estrogen appears to lower the pain threshold. Similarly, the presence of testosterone, a male hormone, appears to elevate tolerance for pain in female mice: the animals are simply able to withstand pain better. Female mice deprived of estrogen during experiments react to stress similarly to male animals. Estrogen, therefore, may act as a sort of pain switch, turning on the ability to recognize pain. Investigators know that males and females both have strong natural pain-killing systems, but these systems operate differently. Continued research may result in a better understanding of how pain affects women differently from men, enabling new and better pain medications to be designed with gender in mind. Pain in aging and pediatric populations: special needs and concerns. Pain is the number one complaint of older Americans, and one in five older Americans takes a painkiller regularly. More serious chronic pain conditions may require opioid drugs (narcotics), including codeine or morphine, for relief of pain. Pain in younger patients also requires special attention, particularly because young children are not always able to describe the degree of pain they are experiencing. Although treating pain in pediatric patients poses a special challenge to physicians and parents alike, pediatric patients should never be undertreated. Recently, special tools for measuring pain in children have been developed that, when combined with cues used by parents, help physicians select the most effective treatments. Nonsteroidal agents, and especially acetaminophen, are most often prescribed for control of pain in children. In the case of severe pain or pain following surgery, acetaminophen may be combined with codeine.

If you are experiencing chronic pain, be sure to have the professionals at AZ Pain Centers help.  We treat thousands of patients who suffer from various chronic pain conditions and can help you too!  Give us a call 623-889-PAIN.