Nickie’s Nook: Oils and Books

What book are you reading right now?

That’s a dangerous question! I’m almost always reading multipple books at a time. Usually it’s one or two new books and then a few books I’ve read many times. The one I want to mention right now though is the book “The Chronic Pain Reset”. It’s a great book because it talks about the emotional consequences of pain and the ways our pain affects us. I like how I’m learning coping skills for dealing with pain and reviewing concepts from positive psychology.

The best part is that the author is very clear about chronic pain being real. I can’t count the number of times when I’ve felt like people don’t believe my pain is real or imply that “it can’t be THAT bad”. I’m all about learning skills for dealing with my pain, but so many times, the books imply that it’s either our fault or just not real. Fortunately, this author doesn’t do that. What she does is explain how the brain and nervous system actually work.

One concept she talks about is how important finding things you enjoy is. It’s really important to find things we enjoy. It can really be helpful to find joy in our lives because our brains need that hit of dopamine and other neurotransmitters. It’s also great to find wways to use our pain in positive ways. She gives examples of people with pain who can’t do a ton physically but manage to help others from their bed or living room.

For me, oils are a bit of both. I get the pleasure and distraction from building blends and smelling oils, the control I feel from using oils to help myself with my various challenges and I find meaning in writing about the oils and sometimes getting to help friends and acquaintances with whatever challenges they might be facing. Not to imply that I’m treating people’s conditions, since I’m not doing that, but I do believe in the power of oils and I’ve seen people find benefits from oils. But I also get the feeling of meaning from sharing my story and advocating for those of us with disabilities and chronic pain.