Feelings of gratitude have been bubbling up over the past week. I had my moments of pointy uncomfortable feelings. Some that came up because this time of year is so filled with generations-old traditions that I cannot participate in and holiday foods that I cannot eat. Many that are simply a ...
Chronic Illnesses
Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Subtle Trauma By Listening To Your Inner Voice
With no improvement in my longstanding symptoms of constipation despite daily walks, almost 2 years on the strictest version of the GAPS diet, stress reduction, mindfulness practices, and more I have started rooting into the role of trauma with greater focus and intention. I see my gut symptoms and ...
IBS: When Nothing Else Works For Chronic Symptoms
What do you do when medical and alternative treatments, natural products, folk remedies and other great-sounding approaches fail to help you recover or reduce painful, debilitating and chronic symptoms? How do you respond when you receive detailed diagnoses for which effective treatments seem to ...
Constipation, Metaphor and Symptoms of Childhood Trauma
I've had increasing symptoms of constipation for 10 years or more, and in retrospect it's been there in more subtle ways for most of my life. It's common to have gastrointestinal symptoms in chronic fatigue and I've tried many therapies, from dietary fiber, psyllium and mineral oil; to ...
Treating Chronic Illness #3: Making Dietary Changes took 10 Years
As I described in 11 Under-utilized Tools for Treating Chronic Illness, dietary changes can be an important component for working with chronic disease. Changing how we eat tends to be underestimated and can also feel daunting and unclear. The process that lead me to make a drastic and proactive ...
Chronic Illness Christmas Lite – How Little Moments can Create a Sense of Joy
It's the holiday season and I want to play. I want to share pictures, drink eggnog, and feel Christmas Cheer. I want to counteract the stress that often comes with the holiday season - with chronic illness or without - and share moments from past Christmases that light me up. While the eggnog is not ...