Hello, fellow survivors of "invisible" (or visible) illness...Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis...if I've missed yours, its only due to the numerous possibilities. With this blog, I plan to post articles that I find of interest, but I will need your input to determine if they are interesting to YOU. If after getting a sense of who I am, how I think, you wish to inquire about coaching, please feel free. Coaching is on a "donation" only basis - no set fees, no sliding scale. I conduct sessions by telephone, preferably after receiving a recent photo. My background lends well to this endeavor. I was licensed in Oklahoma for many years before I became ill.
What is Coaching? How is it different from therapy? Well, many of you may already know, but for those that are curious about this I will outline the differences. Coaching is for goal setting; a coach's job is to assist you in setting goals, and then "hold your feet to the fire" to make sure you follow through. I think of it as a personal cheerleader in a sense. Therapy, on the other hand, can be many things, but it is initiated due to a problem. Either depression, anxiety, or in the case of family therapy, a teenager (sometimes younger child) usually acts out, but most often this person is "carrying the symptom" for a dysfunctional family. And, btw, there is no such thing as a completely functional family - just a position on a continuum of less dysfunctional to more dysfunctional.
I have gone back to school online through Capella University. I am working on a doctorate degree in Psychology, with a "health focus". I had to withdraw this quarter due to illness, but I will keep plugging in summer quarter if I am well enough by then. A health psychologist can work in a variety of settings...in a hospital or clinic...in pain clinic to help those like us deal with chronic pain...even doing an initial assessment prior to being seen by a physician. This is becoming more and more popular, and the class offerings are interesting; Chronic Illness (I may apply to teach this one!), Psychopharmaracology (the study of drugs related to improving mental health)...and many others. Coaching is part of what I would have in my "med kit" as one tool I could use. But Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is probably the primary one.
One thing I hope to do with this blog is keep you updated on the latest research. Many of you may know this already, but a 3rd drug has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of Fibromyalgia. The first was Lyrica (gave me horrid side effects), the second one was Cymbalta - an SNRI (Seratonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor). The third, Savella, is another SNRI, but the trials were off the charts successful. So when this one comes out, I'm trying it. It should be out by now, I'll find out next month when I go to the pain clinic. Lyrica was originally prescribed for nerve pain, or peripheral neuropathy; Both Cymbalta and Savella are a type of anti-depressant; but Savella was approved for FMS treatment as it's primary use! It's getting harder for docs to say FMS/CFS is all in your head, or that it's depression. Interestingly, both of the SNRI's have a "depression dosage", and a "pain dosage", twice the depression dose with Cymbalta. So if you have been prescribed this drug for pain, and are taking less than 120 mg, you are not on a sufficient dosage to impact your pain.
I think I'll close the introduction. I'll watch for comments! Until the next post...find at least one positive thing in each day and focus your thoughts on it. Today I saw my daughter and grandchildren. They warm my heart so much! There were some not so great things, but focusing on my 4 beautiful grandchildren...that erases all pain and negativity, if I but focus my thoughts on them, like a meditation.
Like most of you, I have periods when I am less ill, or relatively healthy, but never have I been really well since I fell ill. I've been to
