You're Not Crazy

I was watching the Stephen Colbert interview with Anderson Cooper last night, and he said something really interesting (well, lots of interesting things, but one that stood out):

The thesis of his show is "You're Not Crazy".

A lot of people have asked me recently why I wrote my newest book, "Taming Chronic Pain," and I've searched for a smart answer that would make sense and sound right in an interview. The truth is that I didn't have a strong reason behind writing it when I started, I was making notes for myself, and then thought it made an interesting side project. And it sort of snowballed from there.

But as Stephen Colbert was speaking, I realized that this was what I was trying to do with the book, both for myself and for anyone who reads it:

You're not crazy.


So so so many people in chronic pain are told they're not really in pain, they're imagining it, are just lazy, need to man-up, get over it, have a mental health issue instead, it can't be that bad, everyone has stuff, etc. etc. Even when they don't hear that directly from their doctors, family and friends, they're often doing it to themselves. You need to seem well. You need to look well.

Well, all that trying to tell you that what you feel isn't real is crazy-making. It will make you crazy. And trying to seem like you're well or trying to carry on as every else does despite your pain will make you crazy too. Pain is real. Ignoring it or denying it does not make it less so, but it does drive a wedge between your mind and your body.

Many of the chronic pain management techniques in the book are small, easily manageable things that most people can do without a lot of help or interference from others. But they're still hard to do, and that's partly why I needed (for myself) to write them down. Because they need a change in mindset, from "carry on as normal" to "this is my new normal." Accepting your new normal is how you can live with chronic pain and not go crazy. Knowing that what your body is telling you is real, acknowledging it, and starting from there is how you live with chronic pain and get on with your life, not despite of it, not ignoring it, not fighting it, but with it.

I hope everyone who reads the book gets that message, and knows that whatever your personal and medical situation, what you feel in your body is real. No one else ever ever ever gets to tell you otherwise. You are not crazy. 

For those of you who've read the book, post a review to Amazon in the next two weeks, and receive free custom art from the book! Simply post your review and then comment below, on Facebook or through my website that you've done so.

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