The Emotional Side of Chronic Pain: Psychosomatic Awareness and Practice
“Psychosomatic” is a loaded word. Many interpret it as “not real” or associate it with being a hypochondriac. In reality, “psycho” simply refers to the mental side of the equation and “somatic” refers to the body. Put it together and you have mind-body pain. In other words… pain. This is a massive subject, but let’s start with two basic principles: 1) While all pain (especially chronic pain) originates from mental / emotional / spiritual factors, they DO manifest as physical issues. It could be as simple as tension in the neck and shoulders from a stressful day or much more … More
reflections from the underground, part 2
Addiction; Predator and Prey When an eagle seizes a salmon too heavy to carry yet its talons cannot release it, they both plummet. The predator becomes prey of the sea. My dearest friend lost her 39 year old son in this epidemic of poisonings with the contaminant Fentanyl. He was addicted to heroin; with compulsions, lack of control, negative consequences, tolerance leading to higher dosing and avoidance of brutal withdrawal symptoms. He often made use of rehab, recovering for years at a time; Narcotics Anonymous, clean needles and longer acting narcotics. Tragically he was not using pure medical heroin, or his own supply at … More
Addiction to Pleasure
Pleasure. How tricky has our relationship to this basic human drive become? Wikipedia defines pleasure as “…a broad class of mental states that humans and other animals experience as positive, enjoyable, or worth seeking.” Merriam-Webster offers a simpler perspective: “A state of gratification.” Since time immemorial, people have largely misunderstood this primal drive, especially its most tantalizing expressions of sex, food, and drugs. Entire religions, laws, and philosophies have built their bedrock of morality in attempts to curb or control this basic impulse deeply embedded in us. But if we break it down, what does it really mean to gratify … More
The Wisdom of Pain
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” -Washington Irving Hello family. Long time no speak. I pray you’ve been well and that life has been finding you easy as of late. Much is going on in the lives of those around me, and I feel compelled to share about my experience with what is possibly the most inevitable aspect of the human condition: Pain. It’s something inescapable. But what is … More
