HAWMC Day 2, Introductions

• Introduce your condition(s) to other Health Activists. What are 5 things you want them to know about your condition/your activism?

• Share links to 3-5 of your old posts (or posts from other Health Activists!) that you think will help the newly diagnosed.

Right now, my condition is sort of a mystery, but, because of the treatments that seemed to work, I'm thinking something along the lines of autoimmune arthritis is probably what best describes what's wrong with me; chronic pain would be a more general approach. I hope to address both.  

5 Things I Want People Suffering from Pain to Know:

1. If you feel like you're in pain, you are. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not in pain, or that your pain isn't as bad as you think it is. The truth is that pain and perception are totally, inextricably bound. Somebody telling you you're not in pain is like them standing in front of your face and vigorously telling you that you can't see them. If you perceive it, it is. End of story.
2. Branch out and try anything you feel comfortable with to help make you feel better, but don't feel pressured to try something you don't want to try. Some people get great results from things like acupuncture, massage, yoga, or going gluten free. Others don't. Be open to new possibilities, but don't feel compelled to try every suggestion. 
3. Connect with others who understand pain. Let's face it, "normals" don't always understand the trials of facing chronic pain, and they can often be insensitive. It's absolutely invaluable to have a group of people you can vent to who understand what it is that you're going through. They can also offer great advice about their own experiences with various treatments.   
4. Take care of yourself. Don't feel ashamed if you need to cancel plans, if you need to sleep in until noon, and if many days you just don't feel up to going out. Real friends will stick by you no matter what, and the people who don't weren't worth it anyway. I know, it sounds cliche, but it's true.  
5. Find a few good distractions. When your pain is high, anything to take your mind off it can help. I love Netflix/Hulu for watching comedy (true fact: laughing releases endorphins which can help pain,) online scrabble, and looking up tiny houses. There's a world of opportunity on the internet, so find your bliss to help you through the bad times.  

 (So, those were more like tips than trivia, but, such is life) 

5 Links to Helpful Sites

1.  If you're dealing with autoimmune arthritis issues, RA Warrior is indispensable. Founder of the Rheumatoid Patient Foundation, her website addresses a myriad of issues faced by autoimmune arthritis sufferers. 
2. Connecting with others suffering from your conditions can be hard, but the online support group Daily Strength offers a ton of different virtual groups focused on a huge variety of topics. 
3. Tumblr is a great distraction, because it gives you access to a world of people with various interests...
4.  Another great distraction is Lexulous, an online scrabble website. 
5. For college students, Chronic Curve offers a great deal of information about navigating campus with a disability.