08/29/2026
Medical Advice and Chronically Illness
In seeking medical advice, we find ourselves dealing with Specialists, Doctor’s, Professionals that are absolute in their theories. As someone with diverse auto-immune diseases and a chronic migraine sufferer, I consider myself well-versed in my chronic pain and illnesses.
I've also spent 25 years in health and wellness, educating and applying techniques to reduce pain, connecting mind-body to overcome pain, healing from within.
The last 15 years I've focused on my own healing, understanding unresolved trauma and the effects on my body and mind. Bridging that gap to lessen real physical pain in the body and mind.
I've researched, applied any and all techniques within reason. Changing eating habits. All whole, organic foods. No sugar, no dairy, no alcohol (10yrs), no red meat, no grain. Chinese acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, all forms of exercise for 45 years. I loved exercise, Yoga especially. Meditation, EDMR, EFT, Cognitive Behavioral therapy, Counseling, physchiatry, infared sauna, Color Meditation, Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology etc.
We all do what we can to cope with our physical and mental pain. Each of us put our skillsets to work. We do not sit around waiting for a "magic pill". We research, educate ourselves and others about our illneses and pain. We have to in order to survive. We want to be better.
I believe in rewiring one's brain to limit reactivity to pain and trauma. The brain is powerful. It can speak over the pain in our bodies, if we let it.
Meditation can be helpful and necessary to calm the parasympathetic nervous system and lesson pain. We must be careful to not ignore our body or physical pain. There's a fine line being walked.
We question or doubt ourselves often. Am I lazy? Am I just being a "baby" about this pain? Maybe I'm not "that sick"? On better days we think, maybe I could start work again? I'd love to go back to my old job, start a career, have a job. Maybe I could start that project? The next day it's "nope I really am ill and in agony". We grieve hopes and dreams.
It is not necessary for anyone else to gaslight us. We do enough of that ourseves.
When specialists are more concerned with applying a theoretical model of learned pain and predictive processing than listening, it makes an appointment feel pointless and leaves one invalidated.
Unlearning chronic pain relies on the theoretical framework that persistent pain often functions as a learned neural prediction of threat rather than an active physical injury.
While this theory has it's place within the field of healing chronic pain, it doesn't override physical pain, physical illness or symptoms. One shouldn't feel discounted or blamed for their pain. That is not the point of the Unlearning Pain theory.
It's a somatic meditative practice, a rewiring of the brain to lesson pain patterns.
For example, unlearning the Weather Response. Viewing weather-triggered migraines through a neuroplastic lens shifts management strategies.
While physiological sensitivities to barometric pressure are real, the intensity and chronicity of the pain response are heavily modulated by the brain's predictive safety evaluations. Therapeutic approaches that focus on somatic tracking, reducing anticipatory fear of weather forecasts, and down-regulating a hyper-vigilant nervous system can help "re-train" the brain to process atmospheric changes as safe rather than catastrophic.
While asking questions of this theory it may be taken as a challenge. It was in my case. Every response became "you are self actuating your pain, predicting or anticipating illness symptoms, therefore you're in pain or ill."
Querying physiological changes in bone structure, muscle tone, ei: swelling, inflammation, knots, TMJ with weather change was anticipatory pain. Increased by expectations. "I think, therefore I am" theory.
Meteorological reactivity transforms weather shifts into very real physiological aches in sites of prior structural trauma or head injury. Atmospheric pressure drops, temperature shifts, and humidity changes exert physical stress on vulnerable areas of the body by causing tissues to expand, stiffening joint lubricants, and triggering tension in unyielding scar tissue and cranial sutures.
Structural and skeletal injuries, head trauma are reactive to weather change. When I say I have significant migraine activity two days prior to weather changes, I'm not a self-fufilling prophet. I'm not anticipating failure, hyping up my pain, or catastrophizing.
If one has CRPS, MCAS, Fibromyalgia, migraines. or CPTSD we must prepare in advance for flares, attacks, etc. It is not anticipating failure to bring medication, prepare food or pack certain clothing if going on a trip.
When we understand our illnesses but are told - "You're seeing patterns, anticipatory patterns. Patterns can be found for illness and therefore pain, if one looks hard enough." It is gaslighting and blaming.
It is sad, considering the effort and courage involved in overcoming personal conflict, to be gaslit within the medical community. We seek out advice, to limit the pain.
We may never receive answers but a listening ear can be just as effective. To be validated is a human right.
Oftentimes, we are overwhelmed at these appointments. Medical PTSD takes over. We are expected to have done research, have our medical files, records, know and understand medical terminology, all while in pain and perhaps heavily medicated. This is why we need an advocate.
My advice, know thyself. Ask for second, third, fourth opinon. Never give up on researching answers. Don't doubt your smarts. If you're in pain, take your meds, rest, drink fluids. Take care of yourself.
Tomorrow is a day of opportunity to see if something new is out there. You deserve to be heard. Hug yourself. Be patient with yourself.
Treat yourself with compassion and gratitude.
RGoodman
