When one is hurting, not knowing what is causing your pain is the most awful thing. Your imagination becomes very creative and always assumes the worst. Oftentimes, the cause is not so bad as you expected; other times it’s even worse. And this can lead to selective listening; which can often cause you to miss what you needed to hear.

Once I had my diagnosis—fibromyalgia—I tried everything I could find. Now I had a target; I knew what the disease was. However, finding a cure was like trying to guess the winning numbers to the Powerball Lottery.

I researched the Internet, books, clinics, referrals… if I knew of it, I tried it. I even attended my local fibromyalgia support group searching for answers.

There members discussed and compared their symptoms, the meds they were taking, the doctors that were or were not sympathetic and helpful. They even had guest speakers.

I vividly remember the pharmacist who told the group narcotics were not addictive when taken for real pain. Really? That was not my experience! Morphine patches and codeine contin had taken their toll, and they STILL had not eliminated my pain.

Finally, I found Joy of Healing, the special wellness work that helped me live a wonderful pain- and prescription-free life. I returned to the fibromyalgia support group and shared this beautiful work with them. They listened politely… and then, resumed their discussion of physicians and medications as if nothing new were revealed.

Had I told them about a new hairdresser, a great restaurant or an honest mechanic—they’d listen. If I’d mentioned a new prescription that was helping control my pains, brain fog and irritable bowel syndrome; they would have whipped their pens out of their bags and besieged me with questions:

• How do you spell that medication?
• How long did it take before you felt relief?
• Is it expensive?
• Which doctor prescribed it for you?
• Where is he or she located?
• Are they taking new patients?

There are many good, committed and compassionate doctors. However, there are also alternative and complementary approaches to wellness that DO work—and work well. So make sure you research all options, ask questions and trust your intuition to lead you to the one that works best for you. That’s what I did and the result was amazing. You see, for me, giving up was not an option. I encourage you to keep hope alive and never give up.