Communicating with Your Spouse About Your Chronic Pain

This article is free to reprint. Keep everything “as is” and include the resource “box” at the end that refers back to Rest Ministries. Thank you! ~Lisa
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Communicating with Your Spouse About Your Chronic Pain
“I feel like there are thumb tacks in my bed!” I say to my husband as he crawls into the other side [...]

Health 2.0 Why Twitter Can Help You Identify Causes of Pain

This article is free to reprint on your blog, ezine, web site, etc. Just leave everything “as is” including the resource box at the bottom. Thank you!
If you live with chronic pain or a chronic illness you may have been requested by your physician to keep a diary of when you are feeling your best [...]

10 Unreasonable Behaviors Your Doctor Should Not Have

10 Unreasonable Behaviors Your Doctor Should Not Have
by Lisa Copen
Doctors are human and none of them are perfect. It is no secret that they call their profession “the practice of medicine.” Medical errors are one of the leading causes of both death and injury in the United States.
The Institute of Medicine calculates that, due to [...]

ARTICLE: Checklist of 35 Steps for Support Group Leaders

Checklist of 35 Steps for Support Group Leaders
by Lisa Copen
Leading a support group can seem like an overwhelming task, but follow along with this simple checklist to cover all of the administrative tasks, and it will run much smoother down the road.
[1] Group’s purpose. Spend a few minutes writing a 1-2 sentence mission statement to [...]

ARTICLE: You’re Too Young to Be That Sick!

No Pain, No Gain. You are too Young to Give in to Illness
by Lisa Copen
I was twenty-four years old, enthusiastically living in new city, finding my independence, careers, and following my heart when I became disabled in a period days and was eventually diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. It only took about four weeks, [...]

ARTICLE: 5 Ways to Create Clear Positive Thoughts to Help Relieve Pain

5 Ways to Create Clear Positive Thoughts to Help Relieve Pain
by Lisa Copen
If chronic pain has got you down, it’s understandable but not an emotional state you need to live in forever. With just a few little changes in your life today you can form clear positive thoughts to help relieve pain.
1) Stop off at [...]

ARTICLE: Planning a Women’s Retreat so Those with Chronic Illness Can Come

Planning a Womens Retreat so Those with Chronic Illness Can Come
by Lisa Copen

Nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic illness
and about 96% of it invisible. Are these women attending your church retreats? Many of them are suffering silently, depressed, isolated, and feeling very alone. Others are some of the wisest, calming, [...]

ARTICLE: Invisible Illness and Friends Who Don’t Get It: What to Do

Invisible Illness and Friends Who Don’t Get It: What to Do
by Lisa Copen
If you have an invisible chronic illness you may discover that the invisibility factor of the illness can be much more of a challenge than the physical changes your body is undergoing. Most people who are diagnosed with an illness sooner or later [...]

ARTICLE: 4 Challenges to Expect When Leading an Illness Support Group

4 Issues You Will Encounter When Leading an Illness Support Group
by Lisa Copen
After planning for your new illness support group for weeks, or perhaps even months, it’s finally time to have your first meeting. You’ve gone through the steps of preparing a proposal to start up a support group. It’s been approved by whoever is [...]

ARTICLE: 8 Signs You May Not Need a Support Group For Your Illness

8 Signs You May Not Need a Support Group For Your Illness
by Lisa Copen
When the diagnosis of an illness arrives, it’s very common for everyone, including your doctor, to recommend a support group. Studies have shown that support groups are in fact very beneficial and can impact how well a person copes with his or [...]