<font color="darkblue">[b] I have legitimate pain. What I mean by that is, physically certifiable, MRI-able, viewable reasons for and causes of pain. Physical pain. I also have psychological pain, also with "legitimate" reasons for it.

I am too complex a being (as in a human being ) to separate the two. One influences the other. The mind-body connection is more than a visible connection..it is enmeshed within my essence.

What I have begun to work on... what I will strive to do with the great assistance and leadership of my psychologist... is to reduce (to elimination if possible) my response to pain... reduce ?? how to say this... reduce the contributing factors that add to my pain.

Let me say that I don't "hate" many things at all... but two phrases that are misunderstood come very close to that feeling for me; these are: "psychosomatic" and, "it's all in your head." In reality, there is nothing wrong about either of these... but the negative connotations are huge!!! My T doesn't use these words... I won't either ...

As I work on all this, I will also work on finding suitable replacement words and phrases... which mean the same truth, but don't carry the negativity.

Pain is in the head...because that's where the brain receives the message and interprets it and says, "PAIN!" Part of my problem is that the nerves are firing and sending all sorts of pain messages... none of which I want... and the brain responds with PAIN PAIN PAIN!!!! It becomes cognitive at that point. Some pain is also physically induced. A vertebrae chewing into the spinal cord or root ball hurts! Bone spurs hurt. Joints that grind hurt. Bones out of place, hurt.

Being in pain and enduring flares of pain and/or fatigue and tremor affect me psychologically. Having lost a career and quality of life hurts psychologically.

That my body is a "psychosomatic" one is not unscientific IMO We are ALL a combination of mind and body (and spirit also.) Anyone who thinks the mind doesn't affect the body has the thinking of a crib baby. Actually, even a crib baby knows this, but can't verbalize it, I think. LOL And likewise for anyone who thinks the physical body doesn't affect the mind.

I do not know this path. I am unsure that I'm even correctly phrasing these thoughts and concepts. (Stick with me and I'll drag you along the learning curve on this one )

My ultimate goal remains to reduce my pain. I have reached beyond the why I have chronic pain. What does it matter? There is no reason to find any fault or blame. I can only care to reduce it so that I may live life with quality.

If that becomes mind over matter, then so be it!