Vulvodynia/IC
I could have titled this page Vulvodynia/IC/Irritable Bowel/Back Pain/Achilles’ Tendonitis/Stomach Pain/Carpal Tunnel, etc., but that seemed a bit too long. Those are some of the medical problems I used to have, and I say “some” because I’m probably forgetting something. Oh, yep – sinus issues and knee pain. There’s probably more. Throughout my life, I’ve had some physical issue or another hanging around in my body. I saw these issues as frustrating annoyances until the double whammy of vulvodynia and interstitial cystitis knocked me flat on my back. Diarrhea, wrist pain, and back pain all took a back seat to the very intense and all-encompassing pain in my private regions.
I’m assuming you’ve had a few highly painful symptoms of your own, otherwise, you’d be surfing the net for something a lot less bizarre-sounding than vulvodynia. I have some good news for you – you can call it something a lot less embarrassing after you learn about mind-body healing! I’m not a big fan of the labels vulvodynia (which just means pain in my vulvar area – Hello! Already knew that!) and interstitial cystitis. I’ve found it much more helpful to see these syndromes as what they really are – mind-body syndromes. Thanks to Dr. John Sarno (who originally called mind-body syndromes TMS) and many others, more and more people are seeing that these mysterious pain syndromes need to be treated as signals that there’s an emotional and mental stress issue creating physical symptoms in the body.
For me, discovering this was like being released from prison. I was free to explore the effects of my own internal stress, my thoughts, my reactions to life’s stressors, and how I dealt with emotions rather than wait for an external solution from the gigantic, slow processes of the medical world. No more waiting rooms. No more little tiny napkins covering my private regions. No more feeling crazy and being treated like I was crazy. No more scary talk about “pain management” and how to “manage my condition.” Though I was glad, at first, when I was actually diagnosed with something real, I was quickly disappointed by my medical options for treatment, as well as the grim outlook.
I embarked on the mind-body journey with enthusiasm, because it sounded SO freeing, so empowering, and so right. It resonated deep within me, and it made a heck of a lot of sense! However, that doesn’t mean it was easy. It took a lot of different resources for my mind to accept that healing my psyche and learning new ways to deal healthily with stress would heal my physical body. That’s why I now share all of my compiled research and experience with others. I’ve taken what I learned in bits and pieces and created a more organized, structured approach to make your experience both faster and easier.
I’ve created this blog, website, and my entire coaching practice to help you utilize a mind-body approach, should it resonate for you as well. If it doesn’t, no big deal! What’s right for you is right for you. However, if it does, what you can learn here is this: yes, vulvodynia and interstitial cystitis can absolutely be dealt with as TMS or a Mind Body Syndrome. I’ve done it, my clients have done it, and the clients of the mind-body doctors I know have done it. I’ve even heard from non-clients who stopped in to read my blog who did it.
My intention is to give you a lot of resources and information to get you started, and to support your journey with a variety of coaching tools and services should you decide you need them. Learn the science that supports mind-body healing, understand your own psyche and body, and take your health back into your own hands!
